Since March 2023, all identification cards issued by the Arizona Department of Transportation look downright badass under a black light. On the front of each ID, essentially hidden in plain sight, is a howling coyote. On the back is a scorpion under a starry desert night.
Don’t believe us? Try it for yourself.
The change was announced two years ago, but many Arizonans are still unaware of it. Last week, Phoenix New Times asked dozens of people shopping at Arizona Mills if they knew what their ID looked like under a black light. Only one person said they did, and most expressed surprise and wonder at the design.
“Wow,” said a woman named Rochelle. “That’s like a glow-in-the-dark type thing.”
Another resident named Liz was enchanted.
“That’s interesting, that’s so cool,” she said of the coyote design before flipping it over to admire the scorpion on the back.
Bill Lamoreaux, ADOT’s assistant communications director, said the Motor Vehicle Division employees who designed the feature for security but also wanted to make sure it looked cool.
“They didn't want to lose out on the artistic side of it,” Lamoreaux said, “so you'll notice the front and the back really highlight what is Arizona in terms of geography and animals.”
The black light design is a feature on REAL IDs — a type of state-issued ID that will be required to travel on planes starting in May — but it’s also on any state ID issued over the last two years. The only difference between a standard ID and a REAL ID is the star in the upper right hand corner that signifies the cardholder submitted all documentation that the federal government requires for travel.
The nifty designs on the front and back are one feature that makes it hard to produce a fake Arizona ID, Lamoreaux said.
“It’s not helpful for those who are under 21, I'm sure,” he said. “But it’s helpful for everybody else.”
