Don’t show off a photo of your new driver license on social media

PHOENIX – Earning an instruction permit and a first driver license are definitely instagrammable moments for teen drivers.

The Arizona Department of Transportation doesn’t want those celebratory events to turn into a nightmare, and reminds freshly-minted drivers to keep their IDs hidden from potential identity thieves.

“Every day at MVD offices, we see teens excited to get their instruction permit and driver license and they want to capture that moment with a photo,” said MVD Stakeholder Relations Manager Jennifer Bowser Richards. “MVD is very conscious about protecting personal-identifying information and we want our youngest customers to be aware that it’s absolutely critical to protect the personal information on their permit or license.”

To that end, MVD has “Safe Selfie” areas at some of the busiest MVD offices, providing a space for triumphant teens to snap a photo in front of a huge banner that displays a distinctively Arizona landscape with a highway sign that reads “New Driver.”

“Be proud of your accomplishment and take that photo,” Bowser Richards added, “but be smart and safe with what you’re allowing others to see, too.”

Remember, protect your ID and keep hidden personal-identifying information such as your full name, address, license or permit number, all of which can be exploited by identity thieves.

Visit azdot.gov for information on getting an instruction permit and first-time driver license.