States with black and white driver’s licenses fall into two groups: a growing number that issue permanent cards with laser-engraved grayscale photos (Arizona, Colorado, and Virginia among them), and roughly 40 states that hand you a black and white paper temporary at the counter while your permanent card is produced at a secure facility and mailed. If your photo came out in grayscale, one of these two things is going on.
States That Issue Permanent Licenses With Grayscale Photos
A handful of states intentionally print the cardholder’s photo in black and white on the permanent polycarbonate card. This is not a printing shortcut. These states use laser engraving, a process that etches the photo into the card body itself and produces a grayscale image by design.
Arizona was among the first to adopt the look. The state’s transportation department has said the black and white photos are “done with laser engraving to make altering photos difficult.”1Arizona Department of Transportation. Arizona Driver License and ID Card Gets a Makeover Colorado’s permanent licenses carry a black and white laser-engraved photograph the state says is meant to “prevent duplication and enhance facial features.”2Colorado Department of Revenue. The Iconic Credential Virginia made a similar transition to improve security and reduce counterfeiting.
The rest of the card looks like any modern license: full-color background, holograms, UV features, and other security elements. Only the portrait is grayscale. These cards are REAL ID-compliant where the state’s program meets REAL ID standards and are accepted anywhere a color-photo license would be.
The Black and White Paper Temporary
The more common way to end up holding a black and white license is the paper temporary issued at the DMV counter. Around 40 states use central issuance, meaning the plastic card is produced at a secure facility and mailed to you rather than printed on the spot. You leave with a paper document that carries your name, address, date of birth, license number, and a monochrome photo.
New Hampshire gives applicants a temporary made of “flexible, tear-resistant security paper with a black and white digital image.”3New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles. Temporary Paper License California issues a similar document while the permanent card is produced. Wisconsin provides a paper receipt that functions the same way. The temporary looks closer to a receipt than a license card, but it is your legal proof of driving authorization during the waiting period. Carrying it along with your old license, if you still have it, makes identification easier at places unfamiliar with the paper format.
Why Grayscale
The shift to black and white photos serves a security purpose on both formats. On permanent polycarbonate cards, laser engraving embeds the photo directly into the card material. A color photo printed with ink or dye can be peeled off, bleached, or covered. A laser-engraved grayscale image cannot be separated from the card without destroying it, which makes photo swaps and facial alterations much harder.
On the paper temporary, monochrome is partly practical. DMV offices print these on security paper using standard office equipment, and black and white printing is faster and more reliable at a high-volume counter. The visual tradeoff doesn’t matter much when the document only has to last a few weeks. The mailing delay also gives state agencies time to run fraud checks, including facial recognition comparisons against existing records, before committing a permanent card.4American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. Facial Recognition Program Best Practices
How Long the Temporary Is Valid
Temporary paper licenses expire, and the window varies. New Hampshire’s temporary is valid for 60 days.3New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles. Temporary Paper License California also gives you 60 days. Wisconsin’s paper receipt is valid for 45 days. Most states sit in the 30-to-90-day range, and permanent cards usually arrive within two to four weeks.
If the permanent card hasn’t arrived before the temporary expires, contact your state’s DMV. Most will issue a replacement temporary or expedite the permanent card. Don’t let it lapse and keep driving. That can cause problems with law enforcement even when your license is active in the state’s system.
Where a Black and White Temporary Won’t Work
A permanent grayscale license is accepted anywhere a color one would be. The paper temporary is a different story.
Air Travel
The TSA does not accept paper temporaries for domestic flights. The agency states this plainly: “A temporary driver’s license is not an acceptable form of identification.”5Transportation Security Administration. Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint Since May 7, 2025, REAL ID enforcement is fully in effect for domestic flights and access to certain federal facilities.6Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID You need a REAL ID-compliant license, a passport, a passport card, a military ID, or another TSA-accepted document to board. A black and white permanent license that is REAL ID-compliant qualifies. The temporary does not, even if the permanent card on its way will be compliant.
If you reach the checkpoint without an acceptable ID, the TSA’s ConfirmID program offers a fallback: a $45 fee for a 10-day travel authorization, available online before your trip or at the checkpoint.7Transportation Security Administration. TSA Successfully Rolls Out TSA ConfirmID If you know you have travel coming up, renew your license far enough ahead that the permanent card arrives first, or keep a valid passport in reserve.
New-Hire Paperwork
A driver’s license qualifies as a List B identity document for Form I-9. If you’re starting a job while waiting on the permanent card, a receipt showing you’ve applied for a replacement is valid for 90 days. Within that window, you have to present the actual replacement document. If the permanent license hasn’t arrived by then, you can substitute a different acceptable document.8USCIS. Receipts
Banking
Banks set their own policies on paper temporaries. Some take them, some won’t, and no federal rule requires them to. If you’re opening an account or completing a transaction that needs photo ID, call ahead or bring a second form of identification such as a passport or military ID.