A regional makeover is on the way for one of the most important cards in your wallet or purse.
All four Atlantic provinces have teamed up to introduce their own version of the card, with brand new anti-fraud features included.
“It’s more durable and I think it will be a lot harder for the falsification of this one,” says Denis Landry, New Brunswick’s public safety and justice minister.
All four governments say the changes will not affect the cost of the card. The New Brunswick government says offering the new card will be cost-neutral on their end.
The Nova Scotia government says it costs about $900,000 to make and distribute the cards right now, and that the cost could go up by 10 per cent next year.
“We're the last jurisdiction – the Atlantic provinces – in the country, with the exception of Yukon, to introduce this enhanced validity for the drivers licence,” says Nova Scotia Transportation Minister Lloyd Hynes.
The new cards will have additional security features in a bid to prevent identity theft and fraud.
“There's a lazar image on top of it," says Chris O'Connell of the New Brunswick Registrar of Motor Vehicles. “The cards have a unique identifier and control number and 2D barcode, and each of the provinces will have various forms of printing that will be micro text actually on the card, so the card would appear lighter."
Residents will be given a temporary document when applying for the new card, which will then be mailed out within a 14-day timeframe.
The new cards will begin being issued later in the fall.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Nick Moore.
