About 8,200 Michigan residents have received misprinted enhanced driver’s licences or state identification cards after an error by the department’s card-printing contractor.
The Michigan Department of State said the affected cards were produced by Idemia on August 26, 2026, and mailed to people who had recently applied for or renewed an enhanced licence or ID.
Instead of the cardholder’s details, the lower right-hand corner of each card contains a stock photograph and date of birth. Officials said the information is generic and does not belong to another Michigan resident.
Corrected Michigan licences already in the post
Corrected cards have been sent automatically to everyone affected. The department said recipients do not need to contact it or submit a further application.
Anyone waiting for a replacement can print a temporary licence or ID online or obtain one by visiting a Secretary of State branch office.
Residents whose previous licence or ID has not expired can continue to use it for travel while they wait for the corrected card.
Michigan enhanced licences and IDs are accepted as REAL ID-compliant documents for domestic air travel. They can also be used to re-enter the United States by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean.
The Department of State said the printing error was limited to the affected batch and that the replacement cards were issued to correct the problem.
