New Hampshire ID features
The tactile laser engraving is honestly my go-to on these too, way faster than pulling out a light. I'll still check the ghost image in raking light though, since that's where sloppy fakes usually fall apart. The laser perforation edges being slightly browned vs melted is the line for me — browned seems normal on real ones. Anyone run one under 365nm UV light lately? Curious if the fibers look right.
Yeah the laser perforation on NH is a solid tell, totally agree. The ghost image on the right side is worth a look too, should be crisp and line up properly with the UV. I've seen ones where the UV bleeds and the whole thing looks washed out. What are you using to confirm it still passes scan, just a PDF417 scanner app?
Honestly the NH license is pretty underrated security-wise. Everyone focuses on the big states but the Granite State has decent tactile laser engraving on the front text, stuff you can actually feel if you run a fingernail across it.
The laser perforation is the part I always check first, though — should be clean, not melted around the edges. If the stars look fuzzy or the edges are ragged that's usually a giveaway it's not the real deal. The ghost image helps too if you're inspecting in good light.
New Hampshire issues relatively straightforward driver's licenses compared to high-security states like California or New York. Here is what the genuine card has and how vendor cards compare.
Card design
NH licenses use a state-specific background image with a distinctive New Hampshire design featuring the Old Man of the Mountain symbol — though this has become a historical reference since the formation collapsed in 2003, the symbol persists in state imagery. The color scheme uses muted blues and greens. The card layout follows standard horizontal format with the photo on the left and personal data fields on the right.
Security features
The holographic overlay on current NH licenses uses a full-card OVD with state-specific elements visible on tilt. The UV features include a background pattern and state outline that are visible under 365nm illumination. New Hampshire uses laser engraving for the photo and personal data on current-generation cards, which gives the card a cleaner, sharper appearance than printed-on designs.
Microprinting runs along the card border, readable under 10x magnification. The barcode is AAMVA standard PDF417 format with full data encoding.
Vendor card comparison
NH is a lower-demand state so fewer vendors produce it, and template quality is more variable. The vendor card I examined was accurate in layout but showed the common issues: slightly soft hologram color shift and lower UV ink density compared to genuine. The laser engraving was printed rather than engraved, which is typical for vendor production methods.
For typical use at venues where NH licenses are not frequently seen, the differences are unlikely to be detected. For situations where careful checking is expected, the engraving vs printing difference is the most significant gap.
New Hampshire's relatively low card volume compared to larger states means fewer vendor samples circulate in review communities. Before ordering a New Hampshire card specifically, searching for recent (within 6 months) forum posts with photos of that vendor's NH template is worth the time. The engraving quality difference noted in reviews is the most commonly flagged issue, and a vendor who has not updated their NH template recently may be producing against an older generation design.