WASHINGTON: The humble US state driver’s license is being sized up for a make-over as lawmakers and government agencies look for ways to reduce identity fraud in the wake of Sept 11.

Proposals to standardize the applications process, include digitized hand scans or other "biometrics" identifiers and increased the availability of underlying drivers’ records have gained ground after investigators found that several of hijackers who slammed planes into the Pentagon and the World Trade Center had used fraudulent identification.

In a society that has traditionally been suspicious of big government, calls for a single, national identity card have never made much headway. State drivers’ licenses have long served as the primary proof of ID everywhere from grocery stores to bars.

While some states have incorporated features such as embossing and barcodes to deter fakes, the rise of colour printers, scanners and the internet have kept forgers in business- Reuters.