No Smiling Allowed!

I think it should only apply in driver's license photos. Seems reasonable to me. But i don't think they should go any further than that like manipulating people's fashion sense like hairstyles and clothing. I really don't smile much on photos especially the ones which will be use on official business like applying for a driver's license. It's just like in passport photos where we are asked to look decent.

Since I really don't smile in my driver's license photos anyway, not smiling in my photo wouldn't bother me much. I don't see what the big deal is. Sure, it seems a little stupid, and I agree that not allowing people to change their hairstyles would seem like the next step in the tirade but I still don't see what the big deal is. Smile or no smile, whatever, it gets updated all the time, so what's the big deal. For the most part, you forget about having your license anyway.

I think that is really crazy. I don't want to display an ugly picture in all my credential that I am using everyday.

I seen this article the other day. I think it's a bit exagerated steps by law enforcement on their part. It's funny cause people hardly are smiling when they are talking to cops, go figure, so of course they won't look EXACTLY, the same in the photo, but people are excited to get their liscences, and that is a good moment in people's lives, I don't think it should be taken away.

Cop "This doesn't look like you, your not smiling now." "Of course I am not smiling! You just pulled me over!" Getting your license is the greatest feeling, you are finally being independent so you are going to tell a teenager that they can't smile? I'm sorry, doesn't that fall under an amendment or something? Like freedom of speech? I am happy, I can drive, so I will smile. I'm sorry, but I also heard in one state that they were ticketing for being annoying. Like seriously, I thought it was land of the free. I guess it's not. :( It starts off small, then it grows.

Let me just say I worked for the DMV in ohio and smiliing in no way changes a person's appearance enough to mistake them for somebody else. I think it is absolutely ridiculous. In ohio you can't wear sunglasses or a hat unless it's for a medical or religious reason. I think those things alter your appearance far more then your smile. However, knowing the ins and out's of licensing laws it's far from the most ridiculous. For example, a german license is never renewed. they keep the same picture and everything their whole lives.. but if they get three tickets in their lifetime they can never drive again... Let me also apologize for any hirrible pictures i've handed out lol

Just what people want. A mug shot on their drivers license. So stupid! The next step will be to make everyone wear orange clothing with numbers on their fronts. geez..

It it kind of stupid, because as you mentioned, a person can change their hairstyles, grow a beard and get a few piercings. We have that kind of "law" in our country too, and it's been like that forever, not only for drivers license, but for any official papers, ID's, anything. But don't worry they won't ban changing your hairstyle, that would be absurd.

Well then for someone who wants to evade the police, there is an easy solution. If smiling changes your face dramatically enough that a police officer may not recognize you, then go along with their "do not smile" policy when your picture is taken and then if you ever have to stop for the police, smile like crazy at them as they interrogate you. After all, by having this no smile policy so that recognition is better when you're stopped, they are making the assumption that you would not be smiling when stopped by an officer. That is of course correct, so how better to confuse them than to just smile like crazy when talking to the cops. The response by the police would of course be to tell you to stop smiling, but you can just refuse can't you? I mean, there isn't a law against smiling in general is there? Of course they could always pass one. In addition to having a law that says you can't smile for your license photo, they could pass one that says you can't smile when talking to a cop. Heck, why not pass one that says you can't smile when shopping, since most stores have security cameras and , in the event they had to look at your face on those tapes, they can't have you smiling. What I find interesting is that they actually believe you can't recognize someones face when comparing them smiling to when they aren't. I guess the high stress job of cops puts them in an environment where neither they or the people they meet smile much, so they can't cope with the "distorted" face of someone who does. Sad really.

They just started this in Canada too and I think it's a little dumb. Passports are that way too. You can't smile and you can't wear glasses. I wondered the same thing as you, what about hair? My bangs are a little long and they hide my whole forehead and some of my eyebrows, should I have to push those back too? I will say that smiling does make people look different though. I look awful in my new license pic and my passport one. Can't the cop just ask people to smile when he checks their ID?

Smiling is a dumb expression anyway. Send all the smiling people to the gas chambers! (Yes, that was sarcasm)

I think this is insane at some level.I mean, cmon they just cant decide on our gestures atleast, because it is not a restriction.And what is that your looks changes when you smile,i think this was a invention, i dont think there should be any limits or restrictions on our getures they are natural and they need to flow infact.

Any expression can change my face, so I go poker face all the time?? I don't understand. You don't really need to flash your teeth, but reading your discussion about prohibiting people from smiling made me laugh. On the other hand, I try not surprise myself any longer... people come up with so many strange things. I agree that you cannot put sun glasses on when taking a picture for identification, because sunglasses can cover most of the face. Also with hairstyles. On my id, my hair is down. When I pull my hair up and I need to show a form of id, I do get people who look at me twice to check if it's really me!!

I think it's crazy how is that possible. And yes the might change the way they dress to identify the people and have them were tags on there clothing so other people will know the name, height, ocupation, and adress. That will be really crazy but you never know what other crazy law they will pass. If smiling in the drivers license changes the way we look and they prohibiting not to smile, are they sure that people are going to have the same face. My point is that when a police officer stops us most of us smile others get angry or scared and we never have the same face. I hope you understand my point. :)

This has been the case for passport photos and drivers licence photos for a long time. It's nothing new at all. What has happened is that some news jerk ... sorry journalist! ... has picked up the story and written it up in an inflammatory way. As several have said, it's because of the way that face recognition software works. It's necessary to have a standardised expression as far as possible so no smiling, frowning, winking, surprise, disgust, anger ... just your plain unadorned face, please! It only applies to identification photos which may be used with face recognition.

It has nothing to do with police recognizing people. It has to do with facial recognition software. Smiling tightens the muscles of the face and can be misinterpreted by the software as hard tissue instead of soft tissue. It's a silly non issue that the incompetent press has wasted time and print space making into some kind of outrage. I would guess that smiling for those pictures is pretty rare in the first place... although I'd be willing to bet that more people will make a point of smiling, just out of "protest". lol

Oh my gosh this is very inappropriate to me since I automatically smile in front of the camera :)

Hello Lisa, Well I agree with the no smiling being put in to practice, on the driving license becase it does change the way a person looks, I have been around many of people because I'm a merchant and work with the public quite often, and when my customers smile they look totally differnt then what, they do when they are sad or don't have an expression at all. Just my opinion I don't know why a person will want to smileon their driving licence anyway, it just a identification card. Happy My Lotting!