I guess I don't shop enough...

[Hypoid]

If you've never met me, I'm not some young pup. If you ever do meet me in person, you won't mistake me for some young pup.

Anyway, I ran out to my local Target store to buy some "canned air" for the purpose of cleaning the dust from my electronics. When I go through the check-out, I opt to use my bank card. The young lady running the register asks me for my ID. I hold out my Driver's License, she takes it, flips it over and scans the bar code on the back.

Wait a minute!!! WTF was that?!?!?!

I asked her why she scanned the barcode on my DL. She said something to the effect that she needed it to complete the transaction. By this time my transaction was complete, the next customers in line were up. I asked for a manager.

The manager on duty was a polite enough young lady. She explained that they were prohibited from selling aerosol products to persons under the age of 18. Another customer chimed in that a new law that had been enacted during the past year. She scanned my aerosol product on a vacant checkstand to show that the computer would not allow the sale to proceed without scanning a valid form of ID.

I asked her if the State required the ID being scanned, or if it was Target's policy to collect my personal information. She lowered her eyes and replied "I don't know."

I was having myself an Orwellian moment!

On the drive home I reflected on my past year's aerosol purchases: Spray paint, assorted chlorinated solvents...I even remember hearing the comment that I look like I'm over the age of 18.

Which begs the question: Why does one store need to scan the bar code on my driver's license? What information do they extract from my DL?

I FEEL like a young pup again. I FEEL like going to a different Target store every week, taking an aerosol (or pharmacy) product to the longest check-out line in the store, and refusing my bar code. Of course, I'd ask for a manager to come over and explain the policy before leaving the line.

grump out...

[1freaky1]

Mike for now it pretty much is just Target doing this, they started the policy before many others are enacting it. Just a sign of things to come. I agree with you that you should refuse to give them the ID to scan the bar code, who knows what info they are extracting on you or worse yet tracking your purchases and locations.

[Robert B]

I was having myself an Orwellian moment! i belive i know which book and movie this is from but i wonder how many others dont know lol but the scanning DL thing is new to me ..... i cant remember but i dont think autozone asked for a DL when i bought paint about 6 months ago.......hhmmmmm

[WINKY]

you need to stop huffin that crap man, its making you delusional and thinking your young again...... HAHAHAHAHA

[Brody]

Well here is some happy information for you:

What's in the driver's license bar code? Last time I had my driver's license renewed, I noticed a bar code on the back. So, I decided to try to read this bar code to see what kind of information might be hidden there. Alabama allows you to refuse to put your social security number on the front of the license, and I was particularly interested in finding out if they had secretly encoded it in the bar code.
There are several different types of bar codes. There are 1-dimensional codes, like the familiar UPC code found on food products. The code used on the Alabama license is a 2-dimensional code of the format PDF417 (or PDF-417.) The site BarCode 1.net (http://www.barcode-1.net/) has a lot of information about the various kinds of bar codes and how to read and write them.
PDF417 bar codes look like this. (This isn't the one from my driver's license.)
http://schram.net/articles/barcode/pdf417.gif
I found some demo software from Axtel (http://www.axtel.com/Download.htm) that will read the PDF417 from a TIF1 (http://schram.net/articles/barcode.html#1) image file. Using a flat bed image scanner, I scanned the back of the license into a file, and decoded the bar codes into plain text.
Mike from Alabama writes that this site (http://www.turbulence.org/Works/swipe/barcode.html) has an easy to use decoder that might work better than the one from Axtel.
The bar code contains 286 bytes of information. The information is not encrypted and is delimited by short codes. The file begins with the letters AAMVA, then includes several fields containing the personal information printed on the license. There was no social security number, and no surprises. (However, your state might be different.) The only other information was some short codes at the beginning which indicate that the license came from Alabama, and is version number 1.
What could be the purpose for including all of this information in a barcode on the back of the license when they already have the information in the state database? It must be there to communicate the information quickly to someone who is not connected to the database. For example, police could quickly collect names, addresses and race of everyone passing a roadblock or boarding an airplane. If you move to another state, it would save them a bit of typing.
For them to make use of the information in the license itself, you have to give the license to them. It would be far more useful to law enforcement if they could check everyone's ID without them being aware of it. (See discussion of facial recognition below.) The government might propose adding something to the license that can be queried via a low power radio transmitter (like shoplifting tags, or automatic toll collection schemes do now).
Paul from NY writes that the NY driver's license has both 1-D and 2-D barcodes. The 1-D barcode contains the ID number, the birthdate and the expiration date. Paul says that whenever he goes to a convenience store to buy beer, they scan his license using the IDentiScan IDS6000 (http://www.identiscan.com/IDS6000.htm) which flashes red or green depending on age. According to their site, the IDentiScan records the age, license number, date of birth and expiration date. The information can later be uploaded to a host computer or printed. Of course, the only information that they need to know is that you are over 21. The unlikely rationale offered by IDentiScan is this: "Many bar, restaurant, and liquor store owners aren't aware of their state's legislation concerning the purchase of age sensitive products by a minor." Since your personal information is stored, it could easily be combined with the cash register data and sold. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) requires a scan of your license at all liquor stores and the purchase information is kept in electronic database in Harrisburg (http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2003/04/04-09-03tdc/04-09-03dnews-08.asp) for use by law enforcement.
Wired News reports that bars are using the scans (http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,62182,00.html) to collect data on their customers.
David from Kansas writes that he used a reader to get the information from the magnetic strip on his license, and found that it duplicated the information printed on the front.
The AAMVA turns out to be an acronym for American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (their site) (http://www.aamva.org/).
The AAMVA National Standard for the DL/ID 2000 available here (http://www.aamva.org/standards/stdAAMVADLIdStandard2000.asp) describes the bar code file format and all of the possible fields (including several which are not on my license). It describes mapping drivers license information to magnetic tape, optical memory cards, and integrated circuits.
Those other formats can hold a lot more data than a bar code, and would be much more difficult to read (or more likely will be encrypted.) A binary file containing your photograph could easily be included in such a format. (Your state is probably already keeping a copy of your license photograph in a database in case you turn out to be a criminal.) But, most likely a chip in the license of the near future will store your fingerprint (http://www.politechbot.com/p-03158.html) and you'll be required to touch a scanner to prove it's your card.
The Denver Post reports (http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1002,53%7E444255,00.html) that driver's license photographs of innocent people have been routinely used in police photo lineups for over 30 years. If you are mistakenly identified as a criminal, a background check is run on you, and you may be interviewed by police and required to produce an alibi.
Hidden cameras and facial recognition software have been used at the Superbowl, and other public places. The existing driver's license photographs, taken under controlled lighting conditions could allow everyone to be identified and whereabouts recorded in a database. (Update: It has been reported (http://www.politechbot.com/p-02988.html) that some of the facial recognition software currently doesn't work very well in actual use.)
I'm sure that you'll be comforted knowing that the AAMVA is fulfilling its mission "to more effectively serve the driving public" by developing standards for the storage and exchange of facial, fingerprint and signature images. Recently the AAMVA has been behind efforts to integrate the driver's license information from each of the 50 states, creating in effect, a national ID card. (http://www.eff.org/Privacy/Surveillance/nationalidsystem.html)
There are some interesting articles on the AAMVA site, including reprints from their Move Magazine (http://www.aamva.org/products/Move/proPublicationsMOVEArchive.asp):
A License to Sell (your driver's license information) (http://www.aamva.org/products/Move/archive/LicenseToSell.html)
"Motor vehicle agencies have large databases, replete with information on
drivers, vehicles and other topics, that can be extremely attractive to other
agencies and private sector businesses. Driver files not only include
names, addresses and photos, but sometimes contain information on
convictions, medical conditions and other personal data that companies
may find useful for marketing. "

Biometrics - Identifying the Issue (http://www.aamva.org/products/Move/archive/biometrics.html)
"One of the advantages of driver's license systems is that they deal with cooperative
individuals (more or less), who can be instructed to assume fixed poses.
The environment in which the individuals' images are captured also can be
controlled, including lighting, distance of the capture device from the
subject, etc. This affords the opportunity to capture images that are as
consistent as possible, greatly aiding the comparison task."
Current and Ongoing Efforts - Biometrics (http://www.aamva.org/standards/stdBiometrics.asp)
"AAMVA is very pleased to have had the opportunity to work through the biometric industry to develop the first ever minutiae extraction standard for finger imaging."

Biometrics Big Boon or Big Brother (http://www.aamva.org/products/Move/archive/bio.html)
"Motor vehicle administrators search for new ways to use promising
new technologies without trampling on customer beliefs."
Note that they say customer "beliefs", not "rights."

Toolkit for decoding the bar code:

This SWIPE tool allows you to crack a 2D barcode. Ever noticed the barcode on the backside of your license? Ever wondered what information it stores or why it is even there? Use our online application (http://www.turbulence.org/Works/swipe/barcode_app.html) or the stand-alone program (http://www.turbulence.org/Works/swipe/barcode_app2.html) and put an end to the mystery! It is your data, so shouldn't you have a look? Learn more about the 2D barcode and your driver's license. (http://www.turbulence.org/Works/swipe/barcode_faq.html)

NEW: Interactive map (http://www.turbulence.org/Works/swipe/state_analysis.html) comparing the different types of information US states and Canadian provinces encode on drivers' licenses based on Toolkit usage.

WHAT YOU NEED TO BEGIN

1. Check to see if your driver's license has a 2D barcode. Currently 39 states (http://www.aamva.org/) use the 2D barcode to encode personal information on the backside of drivers' licenses. Look for a band of black and white squares in a random pattern.

http://www.turbulence.org/Works/swipe/images/barcode_image.gif
This thing here is a 2D barcode.

A Note About 2D Barcodes: Licenses from NC, GA, and possibly UT are encrypted, and we currently cannot decode them. In addition, IL and KY licenses are mostly encrypted, except for a few fields. Older MN barcodes use a different type of barcode that our toolkit does not decode. If you have information about the encryption schemes used, would like to use the decoder to learn more about the encryption, or have any questions or comments about your state's barcode, please contact us. (info@we-swipe.us)


2. Make a digital image of your driver's license barcode. You can either use a scanner or a digital camera to create this image. The image you create must be a color GIF file or a very high quality JPEG without compression artifacts. The image file size should be roughly 500k to 1.5MB and can not be larger than 2MB. The license image should be 1000-1500 pixels wide and make sure it is rightside up. For good results, this image must be in sharp focus with high contrast.

Based on recent use, our Toolkit participants are getting better results with scanned images than images taken with a digital camera. If you use a digital camera, be sure to point the camera directly at the barcode and the license is level in respect to the lens.

See what a good scan (http://www.turbulence.org/Works/swipe/scan.html) looks like. (Note: This is for visual comparison purposes only. The barcode has been altered to protect the privacy of the cardholder. Please do not upload this image to our server to decode. Thanks.)

3. Decide if you want to use the online application or stand-alone program to decode your barcode. We have made two versions of our barcode decoder: an online version (http://www.turbulence.org/Works/swipe/barcode_app.html) and a stand-alone program (http://www.turbulence.org/Works/swipe/barcode_app2.html). They both will return the same results; the only difference is the stand-alone program allows you to decode locally on your hard drive. The online version is a little bit easier to use, but you will have to upload your barcode image to our server.

Note: We are not archiving any image files for future use. We will, however, keep track of the different kinds of information each state encodes on its drivers' licenses. This research (http://www.turbulence.org/Works/swipe/state_analysis.html) is now available to our SWIPE Toolkit visitors. No specific data or identifying information will ever be stored on our server.


Now it is time to decode! Please contact us (info@we-swipe.us) if you have any problems or questions.

[MelloYello]

THX 1138 - Future?

[Roo]

I buy that stuff from Costco by the 6 pack to clean my windshield repair tools and they never card me. However, since it's a member club I guess they know who's buying it.

[SCRubicon]

They always nab me at Wally World when I buy spray paint and/or ammunition. I usually tell them "It's ok, my mom sent a note with me." They usually laugh it off, punch in some numbers and I'm on my way. It would be a lot faster if I could just scan my DL at the self check. Then again, I was a little irritated when I had to get my thumb scanned when I renewed my license. "No scan, no license" said the not so friendly woman at the counter.

[Chris]

Every once in a while someone asks for ID when I buy cigarettes. Guess I look younger than 18. :erm:

[WINKY]

its the hair.

[Chris]

:lmao: Yeah, I still have mine.

[Pathrat]

Interesting and unnerving Pete.

I got scanned at Target last week. I like my' Saturday afternoon doing chores or nothing at all' beer light and low alcohol, exactly the stuff they sell at the grocery stores. I was asked for my ID. I flip open my wallet and show I was born a four decades back. No, I have to scan it. What? I figured it was to show that the cashier did in fact sell 3.2 beer to a legal adult.

Aside from the LE and Big Brother implications, to me this is yet another example of idiots screwing things up for 90% of the population. Lurleen sold restricted products to a minor, things happened involving the law or lawyers, so we get another restrictive and insulting policy dumped on all of us.

[Chris]

I don't care what info on me is gathered since I've voluntarily provided fingerprints and okayed background checks for a few jobs over the years. Combine that with IRS info and that's about all someone could need. However nobody can run a credit check on me or find anything about my personal finances beyond what I buy in their store which isn't an issue because I rarely go in to stores any more.

[WINKY]

im already in the system in so many places for good legitimate reasons, oh well....

[Fordguy77]

On a side note, i used to work at target in high school, and they had already started that scan id program. Theres actually a way to bypass scanning the barcode just by entering the persons date of birth, at some targets the people running the registers are still smart enough to use it.( which is what i always did for the convince of me as well as the customer). Unless the cashier actually knows how to run targets os though, this option will probably not come up.