Washington, the evergreen state, consists of a population of more than eight million and is spread over an area of 71,298 square miles. Its inclusion in the Union occurred in 1889 as forty second (42nd) state. If you stay in Washington for sixty days or more and you are regularly involved in driving a vehicle on roads, then it is a must for you to grab a license of driving from the Motor Vehicles Department. This requirement is not applicable to part-time residents, military men, diplomats, or students. Let us know ‘Where Is The Driver’s License Number Washington?’.
Where is the license number Washington on the license card, and what are the recent changes made will be disclosed in this article.
The driver’s license number, Washington, is written on the top left side of the license card just near the photograph of the license holder on both old and new license cards. The old driving licenses used to have a different pattern of writing driving licenses which consisted of the applicant’s last name, first name initial, and middle name initials plus year, month, and date of birth. The new license begins with the letters ‘WDL’, and then a series of numbers and alphabetical letters come, which are selected randomly to complete the license number. The license number consists of twelve characters with the inclusion of WDL.
Driving License Washington
The DC Department of Motor Vehicles issues a Real ID driver’s license, which conforms to federal laws. This license has helped in developing the trustworthiness and accuracy of state drivers as well as their Identification Cards. The driver’s license of Real ID cannot be categorized as a national identification card, but it helps acquire federal facilities in a limited manner. For US citizens, this license is valid for up to eight years, whereas non-US residents can have it for a varied period of time, depending on the length of their stay in the US.
Where is the Driver’s License Number, Washington?
Old Driving License Number
The old driving licenses issued before September 4th, 2018, used to have a different pattern of writing driving licenses. It was written on the top left side of the license card, just near the photograph of the license holder.
Components to identify old License number
The license number components were the applicant’s last name, first name initial, and middle name initials, plus year, month, and date of birth were also part of the license number after doing the required coding calculations.
The first five letters consisted of the last name, then first name initial and middle name initial was taken, and later necessary calculations with year, date, and month of birth were added as a numbered code. This license number consisted of eleven digits.
New Driving License Number, Washington
Driving license has changed in two significant ways after 2018.
- Non-enhanced standard cards are now marked with “Federal Limits Apply”.
- Driver license numbers that were issued after September 4th, 2018, have WDL written in the first three letters of the license number. Later random numbers and letters have been added to constitute the license number. The license number consists of twelve characters with the inclusion of WDL.
- It is written near the identification photograph of the applicant on the top left side of the license card.
- After September 4th, 2018, the driver’s licenses and ID cards that were issued received a new number. They began with the letters ‘WDL’, and then a series of numbers and alphabetical letters were selected randomly to complete the license number.
This is how you get to know where is the new format driver’s license number Washington. WDL was added because this series is found in no other licenses as part of their applicant’s license number.
The old and new license numbers both are identifiable in the drive system of the department of motor vehicles. The reason is that both have twelve characters and both formats consist of the first seven characters as alphabets and the rest of the five characters as numbers.
Prohibited Characters
It is a firm decision that some of the characters will not be part of any of the license numbers. These include special characters like etc. *, e.g., “Q” and “V” alphabets, and Vowels. Doing this reduces confusion and also makes sure that no unnecessary words are created as license numbers.
Advantage of changes in the license format?
The advantage of the new license number format is that it is more sustainable. The old format was running out of letters and numbers for new licenses. They were the cause of confusion as well, with thousands of similar beginning letters.
Personal information is not part of the new license number, so it is more secure. The numbers are randomly generated and not related to an individual’s date of birth.
Conclusion
The driver’s license number in Washington is now easy to locate, identify and remember for the license holders. It can be found and read from the top right side of the card near the cardholder’s photograph. The specific identity of letters WDL with other random letters and numbers makes it easier to find. It is also easier to issue and maintain for the department of motor vehicles as well.
FAQ’s
When was the new driver’s license number pattern introduced?
The new pattern of driver’s license numbers in Washington was introduced after the launch of Drives (the new driver system) on September 4th, 2018.
After how long the new driving licenses will be in circulation completely?
The new driving license number pattern, Washington, will be entirely in circulation after 2024. It will take this much time because both renewals and new licenses are getting issued simultaneously.
