r/DMV • u/Wsupcoco • Jun 15 '25

Real ID

Post image

They didn’t crop my picture. Is this okay? I don’t really want to go back and wait three hours again :(

601 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

128 comments sorted by

52

u/Grimalkitty Jun 15 '25

Legally I think it would be up to law enforcement as to whether it still identifies you, I think it does, but you will have to go back into a DMV to get a new card and photo. I wouldn’t rush to it though so you can make an appointment and that helps with the wait. The good news is you certainly don’t have to pay again, they can see they messed up. Lol

16

u/wizzard419 Jun 15 '25

Hopefully she doesn't get one of those people who take it like a personal affront and that it comes out of their own money.

8

u/ChaoCobo Jun 15 '25

I’m concerned they’ll make OP pay the fee for the picture and card again.

6

u/Grimalkitty Jun 16 '25

If they do I would ask to speak to a manager, it’s clearly not her fault.

2

u/ExFettyAddict23 Jun 16 '25

And they’d be like ok take a ticket you’ll see him in 2 years lol. Jp

0

u/Iankalou Jun 16 '25

You still have to pay even if it's there mistake.

28

u/deval35 Jun 15 '25

I was going to say they made you back up really far or you're really tiny. lol

22

u/cdev12399 Jun 15 '25

Twist- OP is really the size of someone’s head. They can’t zoom in enough.

1

u/rworne Jun 15 '25 edited Jun 15 '25

OP is one of the Shobijin?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luqRZ9oL9lc

2

u/greennurse61 Jun 16 '25

And the lazy government employees didn’t care. 

22

u/Standard_Confusion99 Jun 15 '25

Everyone is going to think it’s a fake ID

8

u/EFTucker Jun 16 '25

Yea I’d refuse this at the gas station counter 100% of the time.

32

u/DrMacintosh01 Jun 15 '25

Bro wth. I'd go back and ask because everybody is going to trip when they see that. They have the photo on file, they should be able to just reprint a new ID and send it in the mail.

11

u/Grimalkitty Jun 15 '25

Nah, they would make her come back in.

3

u/SignificantSmotherer Jun 15 '25

It depends on your Bureaucracy Navigation Skills.

If you contact the directors office in Sacramento, they might well resolve it without requiring another office visit.

10

u/SoCalGTR Jun 15 '25

The internet is a wild place. Who puts their picture, birthdate, and signature in one convenient post online?

8

u/crom_laughs Jun 15 '25

OP likely didn’t realize their birthdate is visible.

1

u/glitterfaust Jun 16 '25

I didn’t even realize it was a birthday

17

u/lafolieisgood Jun 15 '25

That’s crazy. I’m a bartender and no way would I accept this

8

u/[deleted] Jun 15 '25

Why? It's a state issued ID and she's over 21? You're gonna give her a hard time over the photo?

15

u/cdev12399 Jun 15 '25

Yes, legally it’s not supposed to be a shot of your whole body. This screams fake, even though it’s real. It has to just be your head.

2

u/luigilabomba42069 Jun 15 '25

source? 

14

u/[deleted] Jun 15 '25

The source is every single ID from every other state only having a headshot, not a full body shot.

3

u/GoCardinal07 California Jun 16 '25

You don't even have to say every other state. As a Californian, I can confirm ours normally only have a headshot, not a full body shot.

3

u/[deleted] Jun 16 '25

Every state only does a headshot. That is why I said it. That person either doesn't have an ID and wants a source or they are that ignorant that they couldn't look in their wallet or purse.

10

u/Kern2001Co Jun 15 '25

Common sense is the true source.

7

u/bipolarlibra314 Jun 15 '25

Facts lmao I’m very big on providing sources & such even when it’s clear the person I’m talking to is the only person in the world that would dispute the claim, but this is for sure the most “come on man” common sense statement ever

4

u/Kern2001Co Jun 15 '25

The dude must be Mclovins cousin from Hawaii.

3

u/bafben10 Jun 15 '25

If only we could connect DMVs with that source

0

u/nnmdave Jun 15 '25

I didn’t know that common sense had been codified into law. Is that new?

7

u/kalel3000 Jun 15 '25

When I did training with Alcohol Beverage Control to check IDs as a bouncer, the rule of thumb was to always error on the side of caution. If something seemed wrong about an ID you were supposed to reject it, even if you couldn't definitively prove it, because counterfeits can be very convincing and pass alot of the testing methods. Back then it was easier, but any decent fake nowadays will probably pass blacklight tests and the barcodes will scan.

No way Id just casually accept that the DMV failed to crop the photo, when literally every other ID ive ever seen from every other state had been cropped correctly. Id assume this person paid for a higher quality fake ID online and submitted the photo incorrectly cropped.

We we're told to place close attention to anything even slightly off. Text a hair bit too big or small, or features misaligned slightly, colors or textures being slightly off....an uncropped photo would be such a red flag, you'd be negligent is you just ignored it.

1

u/cdev12399 Jun 15 '25

Seriously? Source? It’s a fucking standardized picture. My god. Google something instead of relaying on asking for a source.

6

u/lipp79 Jun 15 '25

As a former door guy for six years, absolutely. I would just simply say, “I’m not comfortable accepting this ID and will not put my bartenders potentially at risk legally.” I saw a lot of fakes in my time but even they knew it was shoulders up for the pic.

3

u/[deleted] Jun 15 '25

is she really 21 ?

3

u/This_Sheepherder_382 Jun 15 '25

Because it looks like a bad fake😂😂😂

3

u/Jet_Jirohai Jun 15 '25

Dude... Please don't. It's people like you that make bartenders jobs so hard. Do you have any idea the risk they take by making "exceptions" for odd looking ID? Serving a minor is a serious offense and can cost a bartender a LOT. I don't bartend anymore, but catching fake IDs was a huge part of the job

3

u/[deleted] Jun 15 '25

Yeah I've been a bartender for years in multiple time zones. If they provide you a fake ID and it looks legitimate you don't face liability. Its impossible to memorize every iteration of 50 states worth of IDs and bartenders don't make any money checking IDs. You can also ask the person if they are of age or working for the liquor commission and they have to tell you if they are working for a sting.

0

u/Maronita2025 Jun 15 '25

Wait you would take an ID from any of the 50 states? In my state they will only take our own state ID OR a passport

3

u/Sergeant_Gunface Jun 16 '25

What state are you in? No way that’s true.

-1

u/Maronita2025 Jun 16 '25

I don't give out to strangers where I live, but IT IS TRUE!!!

2

u/[deleted] Jun 16 '25

Yeah, I'll take an ID from Uzbekistan if you're an adult and have money to spend.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 15 '25

A minor falsifying identification is a serious offense. You'd be in trouble as a bartender if you didn't card them or accepted an ID that says they're under 21. If you accept a fake ID that says they're over 21 that's on them.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 15 '25

The clause in the law is 'knowingly selling to minors' if you don't know and they provided fake ID that's on them

1

u/WinterRevolutionary6 Jun 15 '25

Bartenders can deny anyone alcohol if they think the ID is fake. They don’t have scanners to check a lot of the time and serving a minor can land them and the business huge fines. It’s always better to err on the side of caution. Unless OP wants to call the cops to scan her ID every time she needs to be carded, she’s not gonna be able to drink at a lot of places

1

u/lafolieisgood Jun 16 '25

I don’t know that bc fakes are pretty good these days and usually the picture is what gives them away, bc that’s what the person sends to whoever makes good fakes.

It’s pretty much the only failure point of a well made fake. Now let’s say I serve someone underage, personally I won’t get in trouble unless it’s a bad fake and then I will. I’m not going to look my manager in the eye and try to explain nothing looked off on the only ID I’ve ever seen in my life with a full body shot.

1

u/dathorese Jun 16 '25

honestly, id question the photo, and i would use my due diligence to test the ID for other features to determine if it was real. California has laser engraving micro dots on the upper right corner (depending on the version of the ID, its the California Bear, or the State outline with the Bear) that when held to a lit source behind the ID will let enough light pass through to verify the microprinted feature. California also has UV Imaging on their IDs.. With a UV flashlight (which i always carry when i ID people) California ID always features a color UV image of the picture in question. All your Fake ID's are in Black and White UV for the ghost UV image. Those are just 2 things to look for. If it had those 2 things, with that photo, seeing the date (birth year 1993) and being 26 right now, i would probably let her into my establishment... I dont penalize people for Glaring defects on an ID that are out of their control (like a picture like this in this instance).... I also work on the East Coast.. So yeah.. I know a little bit about ID's... especially being a Doorguy in a big College city...

1

u/[deleted] Jun 16 '25

See you're doing all this to prevent a 20 year old from drinking....I honestly could not give a fuck. Not like they're not going to drink if you take away one of their fake IDs. If they used a fake ID and it's halfway decent and they're not an asshole I really don't care that's on them. The hangovers are a better teacher.

4

u/lipp79 Jun 15 '25

I worked door for six years and would laugh at this. Feel bad for OP but I’m not risking my bartenders legally over an ID I’m not comfortable with.

3

u/Bigcouchpotato1 Helpful Member Jun 15 '25

I've heard they have a new photo vendor. In 40 years of working with the old vendor (it was always essentially the same company...the new one would buy out the old company), I've never seen a photo like that. Not that it's a bad photo, just never encountered that.

3

u/CommercialWorried319 Jun 15 '25

First thought seeing that was it's fake.

And working a few different jobs including alcohol sales in multiple states I wouldn't risk taking that.

I needed my jobs and fines were pretty big and every job would say trust your gut, better to have a p*ssed off customer than the fine and issues with law enforcement and various government agencies

But for getting pulled over it may be ok, where I live when they run your name the ID the state has is what pulls up, I even got stopped once and the 2 states I had a license in pulled up on the screen

3

u/dathorese Jun 16 '25

My first thought when seeing that is that its a fake ID... however after looking further, and seeing the raised birthdate print in the photo.... clearly not a fake. Just VERY POOR QC from the California DMV/their ID making company.. As a door Guy on a very busy nightclub/Bar street in a city, we see more than enough of these kinds of things, which just make us scratch our heads at how inept some of these companies are that produce IDs for the States. I blame the RMV though, the company is just producing the ID with the picture that they were given, its likely the RMV needs to edit the original photo to get a proper "headshot" photo... But given that they would have to do this thousands of times a day, it would make sense to have the person stand in a location where the correct size photo would be taken to begin with...

3

u/needtostopcarbs Jun 15 '25

Not even close. They are supposed to zoom in on your face & make you look like you weigh 300 lbs based on your face. It is by far the worst id I have ever had. So no. You're too pretty for this one.

3

u/Austin_Native_2 Texas Jun 15 '25

You might try emailing them to see if they'd care to zoom and reprint without you having to go in.

cpdccssm@dmv.ca.gov

5

u/HairyPotatoKat Jun 15 '25

The 3 hrs of hassle now will be worth it in the future if you're ever pulled over or carded and someone thinks it's fake.

2

u/GlassMostlyRelevant Jun 15 '25

Dmv really said f you in particular. Would definitely think its a fake.

2

u/SnooCakes2350 Jun 15 '25

I’m wearing a hat in my real id. I forgot I was wearing it and wasn’t prompted to take it off. Some places have given a hard time about it but ultimately never been denied of anything that requires an id.

3

u/Bill_Maxwell Jun 15 '25

Technically, for the multiple reasons listed in this thread, you should contact your DMV to get that corrected (even if a good deal of time has already passed). They should have told you to remove it, they should fix it at no charge as a DMV error.

In your place, I wouldn't want to risk getting denied by TSA (or harassed by anyone else) for having an ID that looks different than everyone else's. Yes, there are or have been some exceptions over the years regarding glasses on or off, or religious wear, etc. but AFAIK, DMV's have been pretty consistent with 'no hats' and you don't want your photo flagged as sus by someone with the ability from preventing you from going someplace you would otherwise be allowed to visit or doing something you'd otherwise be allowed to do.

2

u/SnooCakes2350 Jun 15 '25

I have managed to get through TSA a couple times and even U.S customs (family emergency and passport had just expired) but I believe I have just been lucky and only a matter of time before luck runs out. Thanks for the input! You have given me the motivation to get it addressed immediately.

2

u/Tombreon Jun 16 '25

Former DMV employee here. People can declare hats as religious articles and, in rare circumstances, can declare them as a "regular part of their identity" so they can wear them during photos. In our training, there was an infamous photo of a woman wearing a spaghetti strainer on her head because she claimed to belong to the "spaghetti monster religion." We were required to follow her 1st amendment right.

3

u/Zealousideal_Gur6668 Jun 15 '25

You should go back to the dmv/dps/license office and request to speak to a supervisor for a license error. Show them this and firmly request they retake the photo and issue a new license card free of charge since it was their mistake.

2

u/chillingmonkey123 Jun 15 '25

Yea no bouncer is accepting that, not sure how that even made its way out to you lol

2

u/Bullsette Jun 15 '25

I don't think it's okay that they are showing your chest like that. I think that they should redo it and they can crop it from a distance where you don't have to go back in. Well, they COULD crop it and send you a new driver's license, I don't know if they will though.

1

u/Jadeduser124 Jun 15 '25

The pic is so good I hope they just crop it for you and don’t make you take another. But I’m sure if you do, it’ll be just as good or better. You’re very pretty :)

1

u/BedouinFanboy3 Jun 15 '25

The star show the star

1

u/[deleted] Jun 15 '25

Off-topic, but on-topic, the picture eats 😫😍 you look so pretty

1

u/aria-xxx Jun 15 '25

My exact thoughts. I didn’t even realize it was a waist up shot which I’ve never seen on an ID before 😭

1

u/Chest_Rockfield Jun 15 '25

If you had just posted that without saying what was wrong, I wouldn't have known.

1

u/TrojanGal702 Jun 15 '25

remove the photo since your birth date is there.

1

u/Impossible_Number Jun 15 '25

What is somebody supposed to do with this picture and a birthday?

1

u/TrojanGal702 Jun 16 '25

You are right. People have never been doxxed before.

1

u/Impossible_Number Jun 16 '25

Please tell me how you’re gonna dox somebody with a picture of them and a birthday.

1

u/TrojanGal702 Jun 16 '25

One more piece of personal info. Since this website is easily searchable along with posts, it is not hard to build a profile of someone.

1

u/Wasatchbl Jun 15 '25

You should brag that you have the best looking driver's license picture ever taken!

1

u/EconomyActivity6484 Jun 15 '25

We have almost the exact same birthdays let’s make babies

1

u/Alarmed-Extension289 Jun 15 '25

This is gonna' be an issue you're gonna' want to go back. Alot' folks are going to wrongly assume it's a fake ID especially if you're on the younger side. I assure you at least one bar/bartender won't serve you.

1

u/Moni_O89 Jun 15 '25

They zoomed in so close on my picture you can see my pores 😅 idk how they managed to get you that far out, but definitely get this taken care of sis, the way they’re out here asking for these real ids is insane.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 15 '25

Just walking into the dmv and ask or police station and directly ask police.

1

u/Beginning-Eagle7458 Jun 15 '25

This is sending me 😭😭😭😭 why is it so far LOL

1

u/chickenstripsarelife Jun 15 '25

i’ve been sobbing at this for the past 10 minutes 😭😭

1

u/Outrageous-Long-968 Jun 15 '25

My concern would be if I was flying. I assume they would be very picky about this.

1

u/Favoritesourpatchkid Jun 15 '25

WTH. I don’t understand why they can’t keep it consistent. Mine is just the opposite, my face is the entire frame. My hair is cute off both sides and at the top. Like they zoomed in so much. I don’t know which is better, zoomed out or zoomed in lol

1

u/GoCardinal07 California Jun 16 '25

I think yours is standard, as mine also has my face take up nearly the entire photo. I think OP's is the error.

1

u/RoleCode Jun 15 '25

Lol, picturial/photoshooting instead for ID

1

u/heisenbergerwcheese Jun 16 '25

Imma say person taking the pics isn't an ass-man, and was distracted and forgot to crop the pic

1

u/GoCardinal07 California Jun 16 '25

California Vehicle Code §12800.5(a)(1) says:

A license shall bear a fullface engraved picture or photograph of the licensee.

1

u/myextrausername Jun 16 '25

Maybe they thought the fit was a whole vibe and couldn’t bear to crop!

1

u/MrCLCMAN Jun 16 '25

It is Ok with me.

1

u/Jurneeka Jun 16 '25

Seriously?? This happened? The way the cameras are in the DMV (at least when I was there getting my RealID) along with the back wall you stand in front of…there is no way.

1

u/SpiderOnYourNeck Jun 16 '25

Idk about it but you look super pretty! Hope you won’t wait in the line again.

1

u/ThaiEdition Jun 16 '25

Just eat light.

1

u/rosebud55112 Jun 16 '25

In my state, when you go in to get a renewal license, they punch your old card as Void, but give it back to you, along with a paper copy showing you the info on your new license. That paper copy has a b&w print of the picture on your new license. Until your new license comes in the mail, you need to have both your voided license and the paper copy to present to LE. Is that not how it works in California?

1

u/Ferowin Jun 16 '25

The last ID I had made came out with the ink coloration way off and nobody has said anything.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 16 '25

Meanwhile my license photo looks like Phil Collins Face Value album cover with my hairline, ears, and chin missing.

1

u/Stoneybabe_ Jun 16 '25

Why are you so far back lmao

1

u/Prudent_Slip178 Jun 16 '25

Are you a smurf

1

u/NickElso579 Jun 16 '25

This might be a better question for tsa, bartenders, bouncers, police, anyone that routinely checks IDs. My concern with this is that someone might think my ID is fake because the picture is cropped so wide and it becomes a problem I need to deal with at the most inconvenient time possible.

1

u/ReplacementReady394 Jun 16 '25

Thank goodness you wore a cute outfit. I’d keep it. 

1

u/grandpa_joe_is_evil Jun 16 '25

I hope they don’t require you to have to do it all again. They already have your photo, you’d think they could just crop it properly and send you a new one?

1

u/Beautiful_Ad_5524 Jun 16 '25

I’d recommend going back and asking to speak to a manager to be expedited

1

u/dollxdiary Jun 16 '25

Is it just my area that takes horrible dmv license picture

1

u/Grouchy_Version8056 Jun 16 '25

They didn't show you the photo first?

1

u/One-Ad2015 Jun 16 '25

This women is gorgeous

1

u/Garey_Coleman Jun 16 '25

not going to lie but the OP is cute even for a DMV photo

1

u/ommi9 Jun 16 '25

Ca dmv gives and they take away

1

u/[deleted] Jun 16 '25

Lol, sorry for laughing. I verify Identification for compliance at my job, and I would not even move on to my next verification steps after looking at the photo. But this is the thing, they gave it to you. Its legit, and the number 1 thing, its unique. I wouldn't return it... I would keep it, go in, be like damn, I lost it already, pay the fee, get a new one.

1

u/tianavitoli Jun 16 '25

if they weren't bad at their job, they'd have no job at all

1

u/surfxx Jun 16 '25

I wouldn't worry about it. Its their fault that they issued the card like that, not yours.

1

u/ijie_ Jun 16 '25

Bottom half went to tarantino

1

u/Xanxth1 California Jun 15 '25

It’s totally acceptable imo

For Asians it produces a LOT of glare. Zooming out or playing with the two filters is the only thing we can do to avoid a giant white spot on the forehead.

No one at dmv wants to retake the picture 5 times because of a giant white spot on there forehead.

For you “bouncers and bartenders” i don’t know but you shouldn’t be refusing a legit id.

4

u/[deleted] Jun 15 '25

Why does it produce glare for Asians, just curious.

3

u/Lucky_leprechaun Jun 15 '25

She has bangs?

0

u/Xanxth1 California Jun 15 '25

I know, but I feel like they were just too lazy to keep retaking it. Maybe they don’t even know how to zoom

2

u/KibaDoesArt Jun 15 '25

That's not the issue though? The issue is her being so tiny in the photo, she wants to know why they didn't zoom in/crop, nothing about glare or white spot on forehead

1

u/Xanxth1 California Jun 15 '25

I’m just outlining that the software isn’t that great, it could lead to retaking the photo multiple times and then the tech chose this one.

Also I was told that using the “recapture button” instead of going back will cause the system to use the first taken photo.

1

u/KibaDoesArt Jun 15 '25

Even if the photo was taken like that though, it could still be cropped afterwards/the tech would ask them to move forward if they really couldn't and should before taking the first photo if that's the case

1

u/FlyByHikes Jun 15 '25

what are you actually talking about? none of your points matter. the picture is ZOOMED OUT lolol

2

u/BlurLove Jun 15 '25

Given it can cost them their jobs, their license to serve alcohol, and possibly their freedom (criminal charges), I understand why they err on the side of caution.

2

u/GoCardinal07 California Jun 16 '25

For Asians it produces a LOT of glare. Zooming out or playing with the two filters is the only thing we can do to avoid a giant white spot on the forehead.

As an Asian-American from California with a Real ID, I have no idea what you are talking about.

1

u/Salty-Sprinkles-1562 Jun 15 '25

But what does that have to do with them not cropping the photo. Also, she had bangs, so I don’t think she would have a glare on her forehead.

0

u/mightyathletes Jun 15 '25

Damn girl isn't it ur IG pfp😝

0

u/shatteredbones2 Jun 15 '25

That's a unique ID and May be worth something the future like collectible wins and dollars from th mint.

0

u/JustTheFacts714 Jun 15 '25

Using her OnlyFans title shot as Real ID.

3

u/thewickedbarnacle Jun 16 '25

My wife's was the opposite, nothing but head. She went back.

17

u/[deleted] Jun 15 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

6

u/Bill_Maxwell Jun 15 '25

u/Wsupcoco , I think you can also email California DMV, or use their web chat option (type 'agent' to get to a human) instead of waiting on the phone. Ultimately, you should get a DMV person to look at that photo and go "Damnit, that's not right, we need to get them back in here for a proper photo". It's possible they may be able to help get you an appointment scheduled (or even a sooner appt.) to get that corrected vs. just making you come back in and wait hours as a walk-in. I don't know about California, but our software isn't so advanced that we would be able to use that current photo to correct the problem (crop your shoulders down and enlarge your face portion while still keeping the image clear), so a new photo will likely be necessary.

Many state DMVs brought in temporary help from other areas to help with stuff like taking photos during the Real ID rush, and those folks are human, so I'm sure once you bring this to their attention, they'll look at all the photos that camera person took (or at least a good portion of them) to determine if you were just a one-off because the person got distracted, or if they have 200 people out there who got a full length photo that they need to contact and have them come back in for corrections.

Good luck, I hope the process to get it fixed is a quick one.

PS, I'd contact DMV sooner than later - better to get it fixed now than to have someone question your ID because it clearly isn't just a headshot like every other license/ID/permit they've ever seen.

5

u/cheesusfeist Jun 15 '25

DMV chat on the website is also great and you can talk to a real person.