No Smiling allowed in NJ driver's licenses

[Duke]

http://news.yahoo.com/jersey-bans-smiling-drivers-license-photos-200155700--abc-news-topstories.html

Going to the department of motor vehicles can put a frown on anyone's face, but for New Jersey residents, smiling is officially against the rules.
The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission has cracked down on drivers smiling in their driver's license photos because their smiles could interfere with new facial recognition software.
New Jersey resident Velvet McNeil told the Philadelphia Inquirer Thursday that when she went to get her license at her local New Jersey motor vehicle center, she was told she could not smile for her photo. Shocked, McNeil said she walked out of the center.
"Your picture means a lot," she told the newspaper. "It's who you are."
Elyse Coffey, a spokeswoman for the Motor Vehicle Commission, said that there was no law banning smiles, only a simple request that drivers not smile "as if you've just won $5 million in the lottery."
"The digital photos allow us to conduct a facial recognition scrub, which allows us to check the photos of our 19 million faces to make sure each driver has only one driving record and you are who you say you are," Coffey said. "We're asking customers not to make exaggerated facial expressions."
Coffey said that residents are also asked to remove glasses and head wear, unless it is for religious reasons, as well as to keep their eyes open in order for the database to operate properly.


WOW. Seriously New Jersey??

 

[Thundercrack85]

This is clearly unconstitutional. Happiness is protected by the constitution.

 

[Spider-Who?]

Wow. People are really getting worked up over this? It's a freaking drivers license. It's not some beauty pageant headshot like the girl in the article is making it out to be. I can't believe she waited for god knows how long in line only to storm out like a 3 year old. And it's not like they're saying not to smile just for the fun of it...there's an actual legitimate reason. People need to grow up. There's far more important injustices to get worked up over than a smile in an ID.

 

[Warhammer]

I agree. It's just a driver's license. Besides, I thought no smiling is status quo in every state.

 

[Anita18]

I didn't get the memo. I'm smiling like in my license photo. My bf is too, which is rare since he never smiles in real life. Then again we had ours taken 10 years ago.

 

[Warhammer]

I didn't get the memo. I'm smiling like in my license photo. My bf is too, which is rare since he never smiles in real life. Then again we had ours taken 10 years ago.

See, y'all are lucky. My first driver's license picture when things weren't so strict looked dookie as hell. Then I renewed my picture later and had to look like a felon.

 

[ThDWgeek]

As far as I know, it's always been the rule to not smile in photos for stuff like your driving licence, your passport etc. This seems like no biggie to me.

 

[Pink Ranger]

I don't see how this is an issue. Why would anybody smile when they live in New Jersey?

 

[knowsbleed]

I smile on the inside... learn it, it's a valuable skill.

 

[Erzengel]

I don't see how this is an issue. Why would anybody smile when they live in New Jersey?

We're the Go eff yourself State.

And that sucks, I always have great license photos.

 

[NickSox]

It's like that in Iowa as well, figured that's how it was everywhere.

 

[knowsbleed]

In California, they expect you to smile because it's California.

 

[C. Lee]

Do you want to know how I got my scars? I went to renew my driver's license....and they told me not to smile....I love to smile, but they wouldn't let me.....

 

[Pink Ranger]

 

[Schlosser85]

I don't see how this is an issue. Why would anybody smile when they live in New Jersey?

Beat me to it...

Seriously though...."your driver's license picture is who you are"?

The only time anyone ever sees mine is if I get pulled over, which fortunately is like maybe once a year at most.

I really don't view my driver's license picture as some window to my soul or something.

 

[terry78]

License and passport pictures are basically mug shots. They're used for ID.

 

[DarkSovereignty]

I don't see the problem here, if I lived in Jersey I wouldn't be smiling

 

[GregComicFan]

From a law enforcement perspective, not smiling in your photo identification is a good thing.

photo line ups: if you need a victim of a crime to identify a suspect and you have only the New Jersey driver's license photo of your suspect, but he's SMILING A GREAT BIG SMILE, you couldn't put the suspect in a line-up of other random people's mug shots. The fact that the suspect is smiling and none of the other pictures show someone smiling would cause the photo line up to be tainted.

 

[Darthphere]

Uhhhh... I kind of already thought that was a rule everywhere... I don't get why its such a big deal. Most people look stupid when they smile anyways.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure its like that down here in Florida. Of course, we're all just too lazy to smile so that can be it.

 

[Sloth7d]

Huh. And here I had to convince the lady who snapped my ID not to make me laugh, and there are people lucky to live in states where I can have such teases fired for encouraging illegal activities?!..., I kid. She was a very nice lady; why else would it be hard to keep a straight face around her?

 

[terry78]

If I ever saw a dude's license picture and he was smiling in it, I could never take him seriously again.

 

[SuperFerret]

It varies depending on where you are. You can smile for a U.S. Passport, for example, but if it's Canadian, you'd better not.

 

[Lasirius]

Hrm, not sure if woman is serious....

 

[SpideyInATree]

If I ever saw a dude's license picture and he was smiling in it, I could never take him seriously again.

I smiled in my first driver's license picture because I was 16 and was so happy that I had a license to drive a motor vehicle instead of having to walk everywhere.

I normally do something weird everytime I get my new picture. My second picture I opened my eyes REALLY wide like I was surprised. Then on my third one I frowned. In my next picture I'm probably going to give a face.

All I know is that if I smiled and they told me not to I would just do something just as ridiculous.

 

[danoyse]

My only experiences with the DMV have been in NJ. Trust me, they give you no reason to smile.