UV Feature Quality Check - What to Look For
I've seen a lot of people getting IDs that look good in normal light but fail under UV. Here's what you should be checking when you receive your ID:
1. State seal should be clearly visible under UV light
2. Ghost image on the right side (for most states)
3. UV ink patterns - these vary by state
4. DOB should appear in UV on many newer IDs
If your ID doesn't have proper UV features, it's going to get caught at any decent venue. Don't settle for cheap IDs without these features!
Anyone have other UV features to add to this list?
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If you're shopping for a cheap UV light, check the wavelength — you want 365nm, not 395nm. The wrong one won't make those patterns glow properly and you'll think your ID is bad when it's fine. Also look for UV bleed/migration between colors, a lot of fakes bleed together under black light. My ghost image is clean but the state seal is weak, so I'm swapping vendors.
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Great guide! Also check for the UV strip on the back - some states have it running vertically. I've seen fakes without it and they get spotted immediately.
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The microprinting is another thing to check. It should be clear under magnification. Blurry microprint = instant fake.
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This is super helpful. I just got a UV flashlight to check mine and realized half the features are missing. Time to contact the vendor.
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Good point about the microprinting! That's definitely something I overlooked.
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