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How Is Your Driver’s License Number Made Up? FAQ Answered

  • Driver's License
  • Natasha Young
  • 8 minutes

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Does the number mean anything or is it just a chance thing? How do they come up with the number on your driver’s license? Why is your driver’s license the most significant element in your wallet? Read to know more about driver’s license numbers and how it’s different for each state in the USA. 

What does a driver’s license number (DLN) mean? 

A driver’s license number is a unique number that the government agency that gives out licenses gives to each driver. This number is usually required to be written on a person’s state-issued driver’s license.  

When a driver’s license is given out, most states give each person a unique number that can be used to identify them. The state gives a person a driver’s license if they are allowed to drive on public roads. Most of the time, this license has the driver’s license number written on it.  

Some states use a person’s social security number as his or her driver’s license number, while other states have their own rules for giving each driver a unique number. People who can’t or don’t want to get a driver’s license can still try to get a number for an ID card that can be used as official identification. 

Driver's license number

How is your driver’s license number made up? 

In some states, your license number has your name, gender, and date of birth written in it. Florida, Wisconsin, and Illinois are among these states. The way these states code things is the same or very similar.  

If you have a driver’s license number from one of these states, you can make good guesses about a person’s name and know for sure what gender they are and when they were born. You can guess some or all of someone’s driver’s license number if you know their name, date of birth, and gender. 

For example, without the hyphens, it can be broken into the following parts: SSSSFFFYYDDDNN 

Here’s a breakdown of what each segment represents: 

  • SSSS: Soundex code of your last name 
  • FFF: Encoded first name and middle initial 
  • YY: Year of birth 
  • DDD: Day and month of birth and gender 
  • NN: Overflow to differentiate those who could have the same license number 

However, most states with encoded driver’s license numbers follow the same or a similar system so that a specific license number is assigned to each driver. 

drivers_license

Specific keywords for each state 

Data Identifier  Definition  Keyword 
Alabama  Alabama driver’s license numbers are seven numbers.  

 For example, 6996164. 

Alabama 

AL 

Alaska  Alaska driver’s license numbers are seven numbers.  

 For example, 6244114. 

Alaska 

AK 

Arizona  Arizona driver’s license numbers are nine numbers.  

 For example, 113654424. 

 Arizona driver’s license numbers may also consist of one letter and eight numbers.  

For example, B13654424.  

Arizona 

AZ 

Arkansas  Arkansas driver’s license numbers are nine numbers that always begin with 9.  

For example, 999000680.  

Arkansas 

AR 

California  California driver’s license numbers consist of one letter and seven numbers.  

For example, A0002144.  

California 

calif 

CA 

Colorado  Colorado driver’s license numbers are nine numbers formatted as ##-###-####.  

For example, 94-33-0101. 

Colorado 

CO 

Connecticut  Connecticut driver’s license numbers are nine numbers.  

For example, 146825129. 

Connecticut 

CT 

Delaware  Delaware driver’s license numbers are seven numbers.  

For example, 1232805. 

Delaware 

DE 

Florida  Florida driver’s license numbers consist of one letter and 12 numbers, unformatted.  

For example, G544061739250.  

Florida driver’s license numbers may also consist of one letter and 12 numbers, using the format L##-###-##-###-#.  

For example, G544-061-73-925-0.  

Florida 

FL 

fla 

Georgia  Georgia driver’s license numbers are nine numbers.  

For example, 09999999. 

Georgia 

GA 

Hawaii  Hawaii driver’s license numbers consist of one letter and eight numbers.  

For example, H00000002.  

Hawaii 

HI 

Idaho  Idaho driver’s license numbers consist of two letters, six numbers, and one letter.  

For example, AA123456Z.  

Idaho 

ID 

Illinois  Illinois driver’s license numbers consist of one letter and 11 numbers formatted as L###-####-####.  

For example, D400-7836-0001.  

Illinois 

IL 

Indiana  Indiana driver’s license numbers consist of 10 numbers formatted as ####-##-####.  

For example, 0299-11-6078.  

Indiana 

IN 

Iowa  Iowa driver’s license numbers are nine numbers.  

For example, 123456789. 

Iowa driver’s license numbers may also consist of three numbers, two letters, and four letters.  

For example, 123AB9755. 

Iowa 

IA 

Kansas  Kansas driver’s license numbers consist of one letter and eight numbers formatted as L##-##-####.  

For example, K00-09-7443.  

Kansas 

KS 

Kentucky  Kentucky driver’s license numbers consist of one letter and eight numbers formatted as L##-###-###.  

For example, V12-345-678.  

Kentucky 

KY 

Louisiana  Louisiana driver’s license numbers are nine numbers.  

For example, 007000100. 

Louisiana 

LA 

Maine  Maine driver’s license numbers are seven numbers.  

For example, 0015000.  

Maine 

ME 

Maryland  Maryland driver’s license numbers consist of one letter and 12 numbers, unformatted.  

For example, S514778616977.  

They may also consist of one letter and 12 numbers formatted as L-###-###-###-###.  

For example, S-514-778-616-977.  

Maryland 

MD 

Massachusetts  Massachusetts driver’s license numbers consist of one letter and nine numbers.  

For example, S999888801.  

Massachusetts 

MA 

Michigan  Michigan driver’s license numbers consist of one letter and 12 numbers, unformatted.  

For example, P800000224322.  

They may also be one letter and 12 numbers formatted as L ### ### ### ###.  

For example, P 800 000 224 312.  

Michigan 

MI 

Minnesota  Minnesota driver’s license numbers consist of one letter and 12 numbers, unformatted.  

For example, P800000224322.  

Minnesota 

MN 

Mississippi  Mississippi driver’s license numbers are nine numbers formatted like a Social Security number as ###-##-####.  

For example, 125-01-2050.  

Mississippi 

MS 

Missouri  Missouri driver’s license numbers consist of one letter and nine numbers.  

For example, F050256006.  

Missouri 

MO 

Montana  Montana driver’s license numbers are nine numbers.  

For example, 626926253. 

They also may be 13 digits in length:  

  • First 2 digits = the month of birth 
  • Next 3 digits = randomly assigned 
  • Then next 4 digits = the year of birth 
  • Next 2 digits = “41” 
  • Last 2 digits = day of birth 

Prior licenses used either the licensee’s Social Security number or the Social Security number followed by four zeros. 

Montana 

MT 

Nebraska  Nebraska driver’s license numbers consist of one letter and eight numbers.  

For example, A20600249.  

Nebraska 

NE 

Nevada  Nevada driver’s license numbers consist of 10 numbers.  

For example, 0002102201.  

Nevada 

NV 

New Hampshire  New Hampshire driver’s license numbers are 10 numbers. 

  • First 2 characters = the month of birth 
  • Next 3 characters = the first and last letters of the last name and the first initial of the first name 
  • Then the next 2 digits = the year of birth 
  • Next 2 digits = the day of birth 
  •  Final digit =prevents code duplication.  
New Hampshire 

NH 

New Jersey  New Jersey driver’s license numbers consist of one letter and 14 numbers formatted as L####-#####-#####.  

  • The first character is the first initial of the last name 
  • The next 9 digits are assigned 
  • Last 5 digits = the month and year of birth and a code for eye color 
  • (50 is added to the birth month for females) 
New Jersey 

newjersey 

NJ 

New Mexico  New Mexico driver’s license numbers are nine numbers.  

For example, 013696424. 

New Mexico 

NM 

  

New York  New York driver’s license numbers are nine numbers formatted as ### ### ###.  

For example, 123 456 789.  

New York 

newyork 

NY 

North Carolina  North Carolina driver’s license numbers are 12 numbers.  

For example, 8013303159.  

North Carolina 

NC 

North Dakota  North Dakota driver’s license numbers are nine numbers: 

  • The first 3 letters of the licensee’s last name (if the last name is only 2 letters, the third character will be an “X”), 
  • Next 2-digit year of birth 
  • Finally, 4 digits. 
North Dakota 

ND 

Ohio  Ohio driver’s license numbers are two letters and six numbers.  

For example, TL545796. 

Ohio 

OH 

Oklahoma  Oklahoma driver’s license numbers consist of one letter and nine numbers.  

For example, B000062835 . 

Oklahoma 

OK 

Oregon  Oregon driver’s license numbers are seven numbers.  

For example, 6110033.  

Oregon 

OR 

Pennsylvania  Pennsylvania driver’s license numbers are eight numbers formatted as ## ### ###.  

For example, 99 900 104.  

Pennsylvania 

PA 

Rhode Island  Rhode Island driver’s license numbers are seven numbers. The first two digits are the year the license was issued (2008 is indicated by “28”).  

For example, 2858889.  

Rhode Island 

RI 

South Carolina  South Carolina driver’s license numbers are nine numbers.  

For example, 100179226. 

South Carolina 

SC 

South Dakota  South Dakota driver’s license numbers are eight numbers.  

For example, 00616775.  

South Dakota 

SD 

Tennessee  Tennessee driver’s license numbers can consist of eight or nine numbers.  

For example, 101915638.  

Tennessee 

TN 

Texas  Texas driver’s license numbers are eight numbers.  

For example, 17600550.  

Texas 

TX 

Utah  Utah driver’s license numbers are nine numbers.

For example, 400138831. 

Utah 

UT 

Vermont  Vermont driver’s license numbers are eight numbers.  

For example, 17600550.  

They may also consist of seven numbers and one letter.  

For example, 8205059A.  

Vermont 

VT 

Virginia  Virginia driver’s license numbers consist of one letter and eight numbers.  

For example, A20600249.  

Virginia driver’s license numbers may also consist of one letter and eight numbers formatted as L##-##-####.  

For example, T16-70-0185. 

Virginia 

VA 

Washington  Washington driver’s license numbers use the format: three letters ** two letters, three numbers, one letter, and one number.  

For example, DOE**MJ501P1.  

Washington 

WA 

Washington, D.C.  Washington, D.C. driver’s license numbers are seven numbers.  

For example, 9992616.  

DC 

d.c. 

washington 

district of columbia 

West Virginia  West Virginia driver’s license numbers are seven numbers.  

For example, 1899168.  

They may also consist of one letter and six numbers.  

For example, R899168.  

West Virginia 

WV 

Wisconsin  Wisconsin driver’s license numbers are one letter and 13 numbers formatted as L###-####-####-##.  

For example, J525-4209-0465-05.  

Wisconsin 

WI 

Wyoming  Wyoming driver’s license numbers are nine numbers formatted as ######-###.  

For example, 050070-003.  

Wyoming 

WY 

 


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