Florida to mark driver’s licenses with citizenship status from 2027

Florida will begin marking driver’s licenses and state identification cards according to the holder’s citizenship status on January 1, 2027.

The change will apply to new documents and renewals processed through the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. U.S. citizens will keep a standard identification, while people who are not U.S. citizens will receive a visible “NC” mark, meaning “Non-Citizen.”

Applicants seeking a new license or renewing an existing one after the effective date will have to present the documents required to prove U.S. citizenship or lawful immigration status that permits the document to be issued.

The citizenship information will appear directly on the state-issued identification, allowing authorities to recognize the holder’s status from the license or card itself. Florida will not issue new licenses to people who cannot provide the required documentation. The rule will therefore affect anyone updating an identification document after the new system takes effect.