Bend test results

The polycarbonate material they use now is way better than the old PVC stuff

Good to hear! PA is honestly one of the better states right now — the thickness and feel are pretty close to the real deal once you've handled a few. Since you're asking about the raised keystone, I'll share what I've noticed on recent batches. The raised keystone itself should have a nice crisp edge with a tactile bump you can feel when you run your finger across it. On the better copies, the overlay sits flush around it so there's no weird air bubble or uneven lamination right there. The hologram overlay on the PA has that repeating keystone pattern embedded in the OVI — it should shift from gold to green under light, and the fine lines in the background shouldn't bleed into each other when you hold it at an angle.

On the ghost image, PA uses a secondary photo that's basically a faint version of your portrait, usually off to the side. Look for good contrast — it shouldn't look washed out or like a bad photocopy. Honestly, the ghost should have those same fine halftone dots you see on a real license, not a solid gray blob. As for the perforations, PA uses micro-perf around the date of birth area. The holes should be perfectly round, evenly spaced, and actually go through to the other side without tearing the laminate. I usually hold it up to a light — if the perf pattern looks jagged or misaligned, that's a red flag.

UV detail is another big one, tbh. Under a blacklight, PA has a keystone shape that glows in the top right corner, plus some wavy lines and the state seal. The colors should be vibrant but not too bright — a common issue is the UV being way too neon or missing altogether. I've run a few through my scanner at work to see how they read. The barcode and 2D barcode should scan clean every time. If the scanner gives an error or takes multiple tries, something is off with the contrast or the encoded data. Ever since the last round of improvements, the scanner results on these have been solid — no fails on the magnetic stripe or the PDF417. Just keep an eye on the raised keystone thickness — if it's too high or low compared to the surrounding laminate, it'll catch a bouncer's eye during a quick rub test. What's your experience with that specific detail so far?

PA gang! Had mine for 6 months now still looks brand new