Driver's license

A driver’s license is a document issued by a government entity giving the owner the legal right to operate a vehicle. Contemporary driver’s licenses are generally small rectangular plastic cards, about the size of a credit card, and include information that identifies the owner, such as name, address, height, weight, eye color, and a photo, as well as a unique identifying number. A driver’s license may include other information as determined by the state, country, or other governmental jurisdiction that issued it. Driver’s licenses have existed since the late nineteenth century, and the first mandatory licensing of drivers began in 1903 in the United States, United Kingdom, and other locations.

Background

The word “license” comes from the Latin verb licere,which means “to be permitted.” Licenses, which were sometimes called “operator’s certificates” when first issued, give the owner permission to operate a vehicle. While they are most commonly associated with operating a passenger car or truck, driver’s licenses are also required for the operation of motorcycles, large trucks, and most other types of vehicles operated in public settings.

The earliest recorded license to operate a motor vehicle was issued in 1888 to Karl Benz (1844–1929), the German founder of Mercedes-Benz who is generally credited with inventing the first practical motor car. However, the noise and smell of the internal combustion engine that powered the car annoyed people in the area, who filed complaints with the local government. Benz responded by securing a permit from the Grand Ducal of Baden District Office to operate his car. At the time, no standards existed for issuing such a permit, and other municipalities began issuing them without requiring any training or testing for the vehicle operators.

In 1900, Anne Rainsford French Bush (1878–1962) became the first licensed woman driver in the United States. The Massachusetts native received a steam engineer’s license to drive a four-wheeled steam or gas-powered vehicle known as a locomobile. The license was issued by Washington, DC, where Bush lived at the time.

New York became the first state to require drivers to have a license in 1903, followed by Missouri and Massachusetts. The United Kingdom passed the first law requiring licenses the same year; it went into effect on January 1, 1904. Professional chauffeurs were also required to have special government-issued badges.

For the most part, the only requirement to get a license at this time was to pay a fee and fill out an application. This began to change in 1913 when New Jersey became the first American state to require both a short written test and a road test for everyone applying for a license. However, the rules for who could have a license were still vague. Some states set a minimum driving age while others did not. South Dakota had no requirement for a driver’s license until 1954.

With the number of drivers increasing rapidly—New York alone recorded 1.9 million drivers in 1925—it became clear to government officials that it was necessary to create some standards and rules. Eventually, requirements became more standardized. Some states allow drivers as young as fourteen to get a license, and all allow licenses by the age of seventeen. Thirty-seven states mandate driver education training for younger drivers before licenses are issued, and both a written and driving test are required almost universally.

Overview

A driver’s license is the document that proves that a person has met the government’s requirements for operating a motorized vehicle. Licenses are required for most types of vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, various sizes of trucks and buses, vehicles that tow another vehicle, and motorized watercraft. One license does not cover all types of vehicles, though some licenses are issued that allow a person to operate more than one type.

Early driver’s licenses were made of paper. Sometimes they had perforations to allow law enforcement to remove a portion when a person violated a traffic law; if enough violations were committed, the license was invalid. Others were made of paper that included fabric to increase durability, much like paper money.

Today, most cards are made of plastic. They are generally small enough to fit into a wallet, since drivers need to have them with them when they drive. Some licenses are equipped with holographic images or other features to make them difficult to duplicate or alter. This allows a driver’s license to be used as a reliable source of personal identification for banking, employment, etc. Others have additional features built in, such as magnetized strips or radio frequency identification (RFID) microchips. These allow the license to be read by equipment and used to facilitate other activities, such as air travel.

In addition to basic information such as the owner’s name, address, height, weight, signature, and assigned license number, driver’s licenses usually include a photo. However, some jurisdictions allow people to have a license without a photo for religious reasons. The license will also indicate what type of vehicle or vehicles it permits. Licenses that can be used for other purposes, such as certifying the person’s identification for domestic air travel, often include something indicating that. Some driver’s licenses also note whether the person is an organ donor.

Experts have noted some interesting trends in licensing for drivers. For example, while nearly all adults in their fifties and sixties have a license, an increasing number of younger people do not. Studies in 2016 indicated that nearly 80 percent of all drivers are thirty or older, and that more than 25 percent of nineteen-year-olds and more than half of seventeen-year-olds are not licensed. Statistica's surveys found a dip in drivers 19 and younger of around 400,000 from 2013 to 2021. Several reasons have been theorized for why so many are forgoing what was for generations a rite of passage. Experts point to increased access to public transportation and other alternatives that eliminate the need to drive, such as more online content including shopping, video games, and entertainment. Driver’s licenses are also harder to get than in the past, requiring teens to spend more time behind the wheel with a licensed driver in the vehicle.

Bibliography

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Ferrand, Hillary. “What Class Is a Regular Driver's License?” Legal Beagle, 29 Jan. 2020, legalbeagle.com/13711957-what-class-is-a-regular-drivers-license.html. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

“The History of the Driver’s License.” Motorward,13 Jan. 2017, www.motorward.com/2017/01/the-history-of-the-drivers-license/. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

“Licensed Drivers in the United States Between 2013 and 2021, By Age Group.” Statistica, 27 Apr. 2023, www.statista.com/statistics/206311/total-number-of-us-licensed-drivers-in-2010-by-age/#:~:text=Published%20by,largest%20group%20of%20licensed%20drivers. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

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“Which States Require Driver’s Education to Get a License?” Drivers Ed, 11 July 2024, driversed.com/trending/which-states-require-drivers-ed. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

Zakhareuski, Andrei. “Why Is Your Driver’s License the Most Important Thing in Your Wallet? 10 Compelling Reasons.” Driving Tests, 10 June 2020, driving-tests.org/beginner-drivers/drivers-license-important/. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.