You can have bangs in your driver’s license photo, as long as they sit above your eyebrows, don’t fall into your eyes, and don’t cast shadows across your face. Federal photo standards require your face to be clearly visible from the crown of your head to the base of your chin, and from ear to ear, with both irises and pupils visible.1eCFR. 6 CFR 37.17 – Requirements for the Surface of the Driver’s License or Identification Card Bangs that meet that bar are fine at any DMV.
The Rule Your Bangs Have to Pass
The federal regulation is specific. Your face must be free of shadows, lighting has to be evenly distributed across it, and both eyes must be clearly visible. You also can’t take any action that obstructs a photograph of your features.1eCFR. 6 CFR 37.17 – Requirements for the Surface of the Driver’s License or Identification Card
In plain terms: the camera needs an unobstructed view of your whole face. Hair swept across your forehead is fine. Hair drooping into your eyes, or long enough to throw shadows over your eyebrows, is not.
Why the DMV Is Strict About Faces
Nearly every state runs new photos through facial recognition software, comparing the image against its entire database to catch duplicate licenses and ID fraud. When hair covers part of the face, the software can’t map features accurately and may flag the photo even when a human would recognize you without any trouble.
The same photo also has to work at airport security. TSA uses facial comparison technology at many checkpoints to match your live face against the picture on your ID.2Transportation Security Administration. Facial Comparison Technology A license photo where your eyes are partly hidden makes that harder and can send you to secondary screening.
How to Style Bangs So the Photo Passes
A little prep before you leave the house saves you from a retake at the counter, especially if your bangs are on the longer or wispier side.
- Pin them to the side. A small bobby pin or clip holds bangs off your forehead just long enough for the photo, and you can pull it out right after.
- Use a light coat of hairspray. If you’d rather keep your bangs down and in the frame, product keeps them from drifting into your eyes during the shot.
- Brush them flat and straight. Bangs that sit evenly across the forehead above the eyebrows photograph cleanly. Wispy, uneven, or eyelid-length pieces are the ones that cause trouble.
- Skip the DMV right after a fresh cut. Brand-new bangs haven’t been trained to stay put and are the most likely to fall into your eyes the moment you look at the camera. Give them a few days.
On clothing, solid darker colors like blue or green photograph best against the light-colored background used at most DMVs. Very light or white tops can blend into the backdrop and wash the image out.
What Actually Gets a Photo Rejected
Rejections tend to happen for predictable reasons, and bangs are involved in the top two:
- Hair covering the eyes or eyebrows. If the clerk can’t clearly see both eyes and brows, they’ll ask you to fix your hair before taking the picture.
- Shadows on the face. Long or side-swept bangs can throw a shadow across your forehead or eyes under the DMV’s overhead lighting, even when the hair itself isn’t touching your face. The shadow alone is enough to trigger a redo.
- Glasses glare. Reflections that obscure the eyes are an automatic retake. Removing your glasses is the simplest fix, and most states now ask you to take them off anyway.
- Wrong expression. A wide grin can distort your features enough to confuse recognition software. A neutral face or a small, closed-mouth smile is the safer choice.
- Head tilted or turned. Even a slight tilt throws off the symmetry the software expects. Face the lens straight on with your head level.
A rejected photo isn’t a big deal at the counter. The clerk reviews the image right after taking it and simply retakes it on the spot. There’s no extra fee and no going to the back of the line. You lose a few seconds adjusting your hair or your expression, and that’s it.
Fixing a License Photo You Already Have
If your current license shows bangs covering your eyes or a shadow across your face, you don’t have to wait until the license expires to change it. You can visit your local DMV and request a new photo by ordering a duplicate license. The duplicate fee typically runs between $11 and $37 depending on the state.
Before you go, decide how you want your bangs to sit in the picture, and bring a pin or a small amount of styling product with you. The clerk will take the photo the same way they take any other, and if the first shot doesn’t clear the visibility standard, they’ll take another one.