It's not incredibly hard to figure out (with decent probability) someone's driver's license number. Of course, the key is to know how the number is generated in the first place. Thanks to some public information and a little Perl, we can easily and rapidly calculate people's driver's license numbers
The above link describes how to calculate a DL number for a Florida resident. It works pretty well, try it with Jerry Springer's info:
Gerald Norman SpringerNote that the online form does NOT output the last part of the DL number: the issue code. You have to add -0 to the end. Better yet, download a script, find a long list of Florida residents and their birthdates, and mass produce the DL numbers. A Script to calculate Florida DL numbers.
DOB: February 13, 1944
Next, you can verify the validity of the DL number using the Florida DMV website: Here.
Note that this vulnerability is not unique to Florida. Other states use similar methods to generate DL numbers.
Because it's so easy to come up with these License Numbers, it's not a good idea to use a DLN (or even last four digits) as an authentication mechanism or security question for when you forget your password.
"A common reason a person needs to find their own driver license number relates to forgotten traffic tickets. Florida has a highly transient population and drivers that move out of the state must forfeit their Florida drivers license when they get a new license. Months later the State tracks them down for the outstanding violation. The easiest solution is to complete an on line traffic school course but they need their drivers license number to get the proper credit."
Adam Meyerson
Florida Drivers Association