The Arizona Department of Transportation said the facial recognition technology used in Arizona’s new driver’s licenses is weeding out criminals trying to commit identity theft and fraud.
ADOT spokesman Harold Sanders, a former DPS officer, said the technology can recognize a person even if their appearance has changed, including aging or weight changes.
“It is so specific on the identifying points that it does in the face that it can even separate differences between two twins, identical twins,” Sanders said.
Sanders said an applicant for a driver’s license or state ID goes through the photo-first process and if the facial recognition technology detects errors, the applicant is automatically reviewed for file errors. If none are found, ADOT personnel conduct a more thorough review before the license is issued or renewed.
Sanders said the system has led to ID-theft and fraud charges against several suspects this year.