Let's face it, driver's license photos can be less than perfection. I've had a mix of disastrous ones, and others that weren't too shabby. For instance, my debut snapshot featured a 16-year-old me turned sideways, complete with a puffy mouth full of braces. Apparently that unique pose was to act as a red flag to deter underage drinking and illegal license manipulation. Then, there was the time when the stars aligned, and my picture turned out just right. Too bad that's long-expired, eh? Check out my tips to ensure your picture doesn't stink, and then tell me, is your license photo a thumbs up or down?
Photo by PennDOT

















Maison Martin Margiela
Hush Puppies
Dress for Less
Yes, believe it or not. My picture turned out to my liking this time around even though the guy taking the picture just told me a terribly sad story about losing his nephew to a drowning accident and I was on the verge of tears. It was awful!
1Nope. My boyfriend does, though.
I try very hard not to look at my license at all.
2I love my license picture, but my passport photo is TERRIBLE!
3My last three licenses (moving to different states) and my latest passport are all really cute. I do not like taking pictures either, so I have been on a lucky streak with this.
4I DID have a good picture on my last one (I went in the day of my 21st birthday, so I was dressed all cute with makeup/hair done). But then I lost my license a few months later and went in to get it replaced. I just assumed they would use the same picture, so I had on no makeup, no hair done, no nothing. For whatever reason, they made me retake it. I just look like a washed out mess, lol.
5I do like mine. I made sure to get my hair done to look good and the picture game out good.
6My eye is half closed and I am scowling. I hate it
7i like mine, i look a little sleepy in it but it could have been worse lol.
8I voted 'yes', but I'm kind of indifferent about it. It's not a terrible picture. I just think I look a little weird because they made me take off my glasses and I think I look odd without them. Plus I had bangs that didn't really help matters either.
9(oops, meant to add this to my first comment)
And it's much better than the picture on my school ID, which was taken about a week after I passed out at the doctors office after a shot, fell off the exam table and landed face first on the floor, so I had a fat lip and bad hair, so I hate showing that to people. Lol
10the lighting is so bad in mine, i look orange. It's going to get worse though...I turn 25 in october so it will expire, and the state of Virginia now has a law that you can't smile in your DMV photos! you're supposed to have a 'neutral expression' but I know I'm going to look rough.
11Mine is terrible. I wasn't ready to take a picture at all that day- and on top of that, the photog posed me in the most ridiculous way- he angled my head way up and made me sweep my hair off of my shoulders and all kinds of silly things. He also didn't tell me when to smile or even that he took the picture, just BAM. Terrible, I look like a convict.
12Oh Bella, I should have read your tips a week ago; I just got mine redone and it's awful. . . . Virginia just switched over to a no-smiles-allowed system, so I'm scowling, and she didn't give me any warning so I'm looking away from the camera with my eyes half-closed, and it's super zoomed-in and in black and white so I've got a serious case of moon face. Angela123, I haven't seen a single new VA license that's turned out well!
13I'm indifferent towards my license picture, I don't like my passport picture though.
14The day before I got it done I had an allergic reaction to my mascara and the doctor said I shouldn't wear any make up for a while as my skin was really tender and needed to clear up. I also wasn't ready for it to be taken and I'm not really looking properly at the camera. The women taking my picture was really rude also and wouldn't let me have it taken again. All in all it's a really bad passport picture!
I don't like this DL picture but had a good one for the prior one and got to keep it for 12 years.
15No, I hate it. I took it when I was 15 and about ten pounds lighter than I am now but in the pic I look 20 pounds heavier than now. Even besides the weight thing, its just a terrible picture of me.
16I look like a 45 year old Cougar in my driver's license picture. In reality, I'm 34, I look like I'm 26, and I've been married for 13 years!
17I'm sure when I get a license it's gonna turn out horribly. I am not a photogenic person-I always end up looking half asleep. And my passport photo is absolutely dreadful. It was taken a few years ago, before I started wearing makeup, so I look hideous, and it was so overexposed I look bright white. My license photo is probably going to be just as bad.
18I love mine. I usually hate pictures of myself. I've never taken a bad license photo. They always take 2 or 3 of me, I have no idea why. It's awkward.
19Yeah, I'm not a big fan of mine. It was taken before I wore makeup and I had just dyed my hair a shade of rebel red :/ It really looks more like a mug shot. Just have to wait till I'm 21 to take a new picture
20I don't hate it, but I don't love it either.
21Overall yes. But it was taken almost five years ago and I look pretty different now - my hair is way longer, and I'm in my 30's. I'd like to get an updated pic soon.
22I actually love my license photo and have gotten compliments on it from strangers! I am shocked but maybe I just happened to have a good day. I wish I could keep it forever.
23Yep, it's the only good photo of me. ever.
24because of the lighting I actually looked alright in mine
25Ew, my face is SO BLOATED In mine!!
26No, I didn't like mine this time around because they got too close into my face, which of course makes almost everyone look terrible. Or as cg130 said... "BLOATED"
27No, I also look bloated.
28I actually like the way I came out in on my Driver's License. Then again I made sure to do my hair and makeup so that I wouldn't look terrible!
29in both my licenses at 16 and 21, i have my eyes half-closed. i get made fun of all the time. otherwise, i look real tan. in my 16-year old photo, i have chubby cheeks, but i was actually my thinnest.
30My first one was really good, but I had to get a new one taken when my license expired. I look awful, it was humid at the DMV so I had poofy hair and smeary makeup.
31I make it my goal to look awesome for that picture.
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