A driver’s permit looks almost exactly like a standard driver’s license: a rigid plastic card the size of a credit card, with your photo, name, date of birth, address, signature, and a unique permit number on the front. The giveaway is the label. Somewhere on the face of the card, in bold text, it reads “Learner Permit,” “Instruction Permit,” “Learner License,” or “Provisional,” depending on the state. That wording, along with a vertical layout for under-21 holders and printed restrictions on when and how you can drive, is what sets a permit apart from a full license.
Size, Material, and Temporary Versions
Permits follow the same international card standard used for credit cards and bank cards. The ID-1 format measures 85.60 mm by 53.98 mm (roughly 3.375 by 2.125 inches) and is 0.76 mm thick. Those dimensions are the same in every state because motor vehicle agencies follow design specifications set by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, which federal regulation incorporates by reference.
The card is rigid plastic, typically polycarbonate or a similar composite, with multiple bonded layers that lock the printed information and security features together. If you just passed your knowledge test, you may walk out of the DMV with a paper temporary permit while the permanent card is mailed. That interim document looks nothing like the real card. It’s plain paper, has no photo, and carries no security features. It proves a pending transaction and nothing more.
What’s Printed on the Front
Federal rules spell out what has to appear on a REAL ID-compliant card, and most states apply the same data fields to learner’s permits. On the front you’ll find:
- Your full legal name
- Date of birth
- Sex
- A full facial photograph
- Your principal residence address
- Your signature
- A unique permit number (not your Social Security number)
- The issue date, expiration date, and issuing state or territory1eCFR. 6 CFR Part 37 – Real ID Drivers Licenses and Identification Cards
Most states add physical descriptors as well. Height, eye color, and weight are the common additions.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 13.2 List B Documents That Establish Identity Many cards also show an organ donor marker (often a small heart symbol or the word “DONOR”) and a REAL ID indicator, usually a gold star in an upper corner.
What’s on the Back
The back of a permit carries machine-readable technology, most commonly a two-dimensional PDF417 barcode. That barcode encodes the same information printed on the front and is what police scanners, retailers, and age-verification systems read.1eCFR. 6 CFR Part 37 – Real ID Drivers Licenses and Identification Cards Some states add a magnetic stripe beside the barcode. The back may also repeat your name and permit number in smaller print and list any restriction codes, such as corrective lens requirements, that didn’t fit on the front.
How a Permit Looks Different from a Full License
Four visual cues separate a permit from a standard driver’s license.
The Label
Permits display text like “LEARNER PERMIT,” “INSTRUCTION PERMIT,” or “PROVISIONAL” on the face of the card, usually near the top or beside the photo. A full license says “DRIVER LICENSE” in that same spot. That label is the fastest way for a police officer, bartender, or anyone checking your ID to know what they’re holding.
Vertical Orientation
Nearly every state issues under-21 credentials in a vertical portrait layout, while licenses for drivers 21 and older use the standard horizontal landscape layout. This applies to both permits and provisional licenses. The vertical format is an instant signal that the holder is under the legal drinking age, which is why retailers and bar staff are trained to look for it. If you’re over 21 and getting a learner’s permit, your card will typically use the horizontal adult format.
Color and Age Markers
Many states use different color schemes to distinguish permits from full licenses, with a different-colored header bar, a different tint behind the photo, or a distinct background pattern. Some states print “UNDER 18 UNTIL” or “UNDER 21 UNTIL” followed by the relevant date in bold contrasting text next to the photo.
Restrictions on the Card
A permit spells out the conditions under which you’re allowed to drive. Common restrictions include having a licensed adult (typically 21 or older) in the front passenger seat at all times, nighttime curfews, and passenger limits for teen drivers. Exact restrictions vary by state and appear either as coded abbreviations on the front or as printed conditions on the back.
Security Features You Can See and Feel
Permits layer in multiple physical security elements. The REAL ID Act requires every compliant card to include “physical security features designed to prevent tampering, counterfeiting, or duplication of the document for fraudulent purposes.”3Department of Homeland Security. REAL ID Act Text In practice, you’ll find:
- Holograms that shift color or image when you tilt the card
- Microprinting, text so small it needs magnification, woven into borders and backgrounds
- Laser engraving, where data is etched into the card material rather than printed on the surface
- UV-reactive ink, visible only under ultraviolet light
- Raised lettering or tactile features you can feel with a fingertip
The exact mix differs by state on purpose. If every state used the same layout, a counterfeiter who cracked one design would have cracked them all.
State-to-State Differences
No two states produce identical permits. The document goes by different names (“Learner’s Permit,” “Instruction Permit,” “Learner License”), and the background artwork, color accents, photo placement, font, and barcode location all shift from state to state. Underneath the design differences, though, the data is remarkably consistent, because every state works from the same federal REAL ID standards and AAMVA specifications. Your permit will carry the same core fields as any other state’s: name, photo, date of birth, address, sex, signature, permit number, and expiration date.1eCFR. 6 CFR Part 37 – Real ID Drivers Licenses and Identification Cards
One Thing a Permit Doesn’t Cover
A learner’s permit is a government-issued photo ID and works in many everyday settings. Air travel is the exception. The TSA explicitly states that “a temporary driver’s license is not an acceptable form of identification,” and since REAL ID enforcement began on May 7, 2025, passengers 18 and older need a REAL ID-compliant license, a passport, or another approved document to clear airport security.4Transportation Security Administration. Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint5Transportation Security Administration. TSA Publishes Final Rule on REAL ID Enforcement Beginning May 7 2025 If a permit is your only ID and you need to fly, bring a passport.