EFFECTIVE SEP 12, 2009 STANDARD AND ENHANCED PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION CARD

Currently, all personal identification (PID) cards issued by the Michigan Department of State contain an 11-character number of one letter and 10 digits. The first letter of the applicant’s last name is the same as the first character of the ID number (see illustration on the left).

PID card numbers are generated using the Soundex coding system, which uses the individual’s name, date of birth and other identifiers to generate the PID number. A new number is issued if the applicant’s name changes or the date of birth is corrected.

Beginning Sept. 12, 2009, the Michigan Department of State will no longer issue PID cards with an 11-character number. All new cards will have a 13-character number.

Existing PID cards with an 11-character number will continue to be valid. They will be assigned a permanent 13-character number at renewal or during a transaction that requires the production of a new card, whichever comes first. Because the renewal cycle is four years, cards with 11-character numbers won’t be completely phased out of circulation until 2013.

The department will continue to use the Soundex coding system when issuing new PID cards. Once these numbers are issued, they are permanent and will not change even if the applicant’s name is changed or date of birth is corrected.