Maryland - DC area workhorse
Yeah, totally agree. I've had better luck with MD in the DC area—just feels less conspicuous, honestly. VA works too, but tends to get a second glance more often. MD blends right in, especially around the beltway.
Yeah, Baltimore can be a pain. I've had a few close calls myself, so it's good to hear someone's had success with an MD there. Which venues specifically? Tbh, some of the clubs near the Inner Harbor are notorious for checking closely.
Yeah, UV pattern is usually the first thing I check on any MD too. I'm glad to hear the current ones are holding up—I've been burned by bad UV on older batches before, so that's honestly reassuring. Do you know if the laminate layers are matching up well with these too? That's been my next concern lately, tbh.
I've been using this Maryland novelty piece as my go-to for DC and Baltimore for a while now, and I figured I'd share a detailed breakdown since the current batches seem to be in a sweet spot. The template itself is widely recognized in the region, which is half the battle—every bouncer and TSA agent around here has seen a real MD license a thousand times, so the design has to be spot-on. On that front, it holds up really well.
Let's talk microprint accuracy. On the real Maryland license, the fine print around the state capitol building and along the top border is notoriously tiny and crisp. In this version, I've checked it under a loupe and the microprint is actually there with remarkably good definition—lines like "MARYLAND" and the repeating state seal pattern are readable without