What Can Criminals Do With a Stolen Driver’s License—and What You Can Do About It

Your driver’s license is a prized piece of plastic you keep in your wallet that lets you drive your car and produce identification for many uses. It’s also a goldmine for identity thieves. Whether physically stolen, copied from a photo, or exposed in a data breach, the information on your driver’s license can be misused in many ways.

How Does Someone Steal a Driver’s License?

Criminals, including identity thieves, can get their hands on your driver’s license or driver’s license information by physically stealing it or snapping a picture of it when you’re not paying attention. This sometimes happens, for example, at a bar, airport, or on public transportation.  

However, one of the easiest and quickest ways for criminals to gain access to thousands of driver’s licenses in one go is through data breaches. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, over 150 million US driver records have been exposed in data breaches since 2017. That means millions of driver’s license numbers, names, and birth dates have been made available to cybercriminals.

What Can Criminals Do With a Driver’s License?

A stolen or compromised driver’s license number gives identity thieves enough leeway to impersonate you. Here’s what they can do with it:

Unfortunately, many victims don’t realize what’s happening until much later, like when they apply to renew a license, fail a background check, or get a surprise visit from police.

4 Red Flags Someone May Be Misusing Your License

Watch out for these red flags:

• You’re denied a driver’s license renewal.
• You receive notices about unpaid traffic tickets or unfamiliar court summons.
• Your background check returns strange results.
• You discover unfamiliar accounts on your credit report.

How to Protect Your Driver’s License from Misuse

While you can’t always control what happens to your data in a breach, you can reduce your exposure by:

• Limiting scans or swipes of your license. Only allow it when required by law (for example, at the airport TSA, buying medication, during a traffic stop) or whenever necessary (verifying age at a bar or applying for a loan).
• Don’t share photos and avoid sharing your license online or via messaging apps.
• Use scam detection tools and stay alert to phishing attempts. Many scammers try to trick you into uploading or “verifying” your ID through fake websites, job postings, or loan offers. Preventing scams and phishing attempts not only protects your personal information but also helps safeguard your identity documents, including your driver’s license against misuse.

Use Bitdefender Scamio and Bitdefender Link Checker to analyze suspicious links and potential scam messages before engaging with them. Both tools are free and at your disposal 24/7.

• Use identity theft protection services. Solutions like Bitdefender Identity Theft Protection monitor for unauthorized use of your personal data, alert you if your license or other sensitive info appears in data breaches, and offer recovery assistance if your identity is misused.
• Report a lost or stolen license immediately to your state’s licensing agency. Ask about steps to flag your license for potential fraud.

What to Do If You Suspect Misuse

If your license information has been compromised, act quickly:

1. Request Your Driving Record. Contact your state’s DMV and ask for a copy of your driving record. Look for traffic violations or changes you didn’t authorize.
2. Check Your Credit Reports
   Visit AnnualCreditReport.com to get your free reports from the three major credit bureaus. Look for new accounts or suspicious activity.
3. Review Background Checks
   If you've recently applied for a job, you’re entitled to see any third-party background check conducted on you. Ask HR for the contact information of the screening company. Alternatively, conduct your own self-check to spot errors.

If your license information is being misused—or you’re unsure what to do next—contact the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC).

While you can’t erase the risk entirely, staying proactive makes a difference. Monitor your credit, safeguard your license, and consider using identity theft protection services and digital identity protection services for peace of mind.