Tennessee to Roll Out Vertical Licenses to People Under 21
The vertical licenses will make it easier to identify people under the age of 21, with the hope that it will help police and vendors in keeping minors from obtaining alcohol illegally.
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security unveiled Monday a new vertical design of driver licenses and ID cards for people under 21 years of age.
The vertical licenses will make it easier to identify people under the age of 21, with the hope that it will help police and vendors in keeping minors from obtaining alcohol illegally.
"Being a former state trooper...I know the problems that are associated with making sure if you're in retail or you're a law enforcement officer that you're able to quickly identify someone that's under 21," Department of Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner David W. Purkey said.
The new design has already taken effect. Those under 21 who already have a license are not required to obtain a new one except for the typical replacement situations such as loss or change in location.
Vertical licenses will be issued to new license-carriers that are under 21. After a person turns 21, they can then acquire the standard horizontal license.
Tennessee is the 48th state to adopt the use of vertical licenses.