License redesign to target ID theft

State awards $32m contract to Conn. company

The Patrick administration has awarded a $32 million contract to a Connecticut company to produce the next generation of driver's licenses, which are expected to be more secure against identity theft, officials said yesterday.

The company, L-1 Identity Solutions, also has agreed to build a plant in the state to manufacture the licenses for the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Officials refused to disclose the location of the plant for security reasons. The company currently has an office in Burlington.

A company spokeswoman said a "nominal" number of new jobs will be generated by the Massachusetts contract, but the company hopes to expand its businesses into the Northeast and probably will use the facility as its hub.

In a statement, Rachel Kaprielian, registrar of motor vehicles, said the six-year contract will increase security measures on licenses and Massachusetts identity cards to fight identity theft and counterfeiting.

"This next generation license will include state-of-the-art technologies that guard against tampering and counterfeiting," she said.

The company will produce 1.4 million licenses and ID cards annually.

Currently, Massachusetts licenses are manufactured in Washington state.

The new licenses are expected to come into use in September 2009, Registry officials said.

Ann Dufresne, Registry spokeswoman, said the contract also includes an upgrade for the computer network the agency's branches use to direct people to the right employee.

In another development designed to encourage consumers to use online Registry services, the agency will soon begin sending letters notifying people whose licenses are about to expire that they can renew online.

Dufresne said the Registry routinely sends the letters out 45 days before the licenses are set to expire but will now notify those who do not have outstanding fines or fees that they can avoid a trip to a branch.