# Is your driver's license accurate for height/weight? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 21, 2007, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-drivers-license-accurate-for-height-weight/419986 "2007-09-21T14:14:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-drivers-license-accurate-for-height-weight/419986/1 "2007-09-21T14:14:01Z")
Inspired by the “How tall are you?” poll: Have you kept the height and weight stats on your driver’s license up-to-date? I always thought most people’s licenses displayed whatever height and weight they gave the DMV when they were 16, or whenever they first got their license. My height hasn’t changed since then, but as for my weight - I was fudging it a bit when I reported it at 16, and it’s off by 20 pounds now. Every four years I look the DMV lady right in the face and report “no significant changes.” ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-drivers-license-accurate-for-height-weight/419986/2 "2007-09-21T14:45:10Z")
I think I remember a study a few years back that said that women’s drivers licences were consistently unreliable for weight and men’s for height. I suppose it would be unreliable for weight for both sexes past, say, age 35. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-drivers-license-accurate-for-height-weight/419986/3 "2007-09-21T14:46:34Z")
Mine’s only off by 2 lbs. ---
**Author:** ![Most\_Creative\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Most\_Creative\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Most_Creative_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-drivers-license-accurate-for-height-weight/419986/4 "2007-09-21T14:48:49Z")
My weight is off by 5 pounds. My height is accurate. ---
**Author:** ![Hakuna\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hakuna\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hakuna_Matata)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-drivers-license-accurate-for-height-weight/419986/5 "2007-09-21T14:55:34Z")
height is accurate weight is 4 pounds off but I will get back there…I swear! ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-drivers-license-accurate-for-height-weight/419986/6 "2007-09-21T15:03:26Z")
Height: accurate, if not .5 inch short. Weight: a few pounds heavier on the license. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-drivers-license-accurate-for-height-weight/419986/7 "2007-09-21T15:04:27Z")
May I hijack? In California my license number was a letter followed by seven numerals. In Washington it starts with my surname and initials and is followed by numerals and letters. One time I needed to gove my number to an official for something or other (I don’t remember what it was about, but it was legit). Official: What is your driver’s license number? Me [fictitious for this thread]: S-M-I… Official: No, I need your driver’s license number. Me: S-M-I-T-H… Official: I don’t need your name. I need your driver’s license number! Me: I’m giving it to you! S-M-I-T-H-J-L-1-2-3-X-Y. Does anyone else’s state use a name in the license number, and have people been confused by it? ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-drivers-license-accurate-for-height-weight/419986/8 "2007-09-21T15:05:10Z")
I’m about two pounds lighter than my drivers license weight, and my height is accurate. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-drivers-license-accurate-for-height-weight/419986/9 "2007-09-21T15:06:09Z")
I’m 5 pounds heavier right now than my license says. ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-drivers-license-accurate-for-height-weight/419986/10 "2007-09-21T15:15:58Z")
Fl licenses just have height. Mine is correct at 5’5’’ ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-drivers-license-accurate-for-height-weight/419986/11 "2007-09-21T15:15:58Z")
Looking at my license, I see that both my height and weight are wrong. So is my eye color, birthdate, and name. Wait, this isn’t my license. ---
**Author:** ![RedRosesForMe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@RedRosesForMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedRosesForMe)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-drivers-license-accurate-for-height-weight/419986/12 "2007-09-21T15:40:18Z")
Yeah, in FL drivers licenses don’t have weight. I could see how that might be a bit useless with pregnancy, age, injury, crash dieting for bathing suit season. It is now accurate for height. It was an inch short for several years, I don’t know if that’s because the stupid DMV woman subtracted several inches due to my (thick, curly) hair, or if I actually grew an inch between age 15 and age 21 (I’m pretty sure I’ve been 5’8 since I was 13, and no growth since). Hell, screw height and weight. My friend had a license that said he was female, and he’d had it for years before I noticed. ETA: FL DL use the person’s (surname) initial and birth year in the number, but not the full name. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-drivers-license-accurate-for-height-weight/419986/13 "2007-09-21T16:01:14Z")
Texas is also height only. Mine is correct at 6’2". ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-drivers-license-accurate-for-height-weight/419986/14 "2007-09-21T16:08:37Z")
I’ve gained about 30 lbs since I was 18 (just as well, now I’m not so stick-y) Height’s the same, and the picture looks exactly like me. Huh. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-drivers-license-accurate-for-height-weight/419986/15 "2007-09-21T16:14:33Z")
My height is correct, all 5’8" of it, NJ does not bother with weight on the license. Probably a good idea. It looks like they took blood type off also. I remember that use to be on the license. Jim ---
**Author:** ![UntouchedTakeaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d78d45/32.png) [@UntouchedTakeaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UntouchedTakeaway)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-drivers-license-accurate-for-height-weight/419986/16 "2007-09-21T16:20:16Z")
NJ doesn’t list weight (thank you, God!), but it’s accurate on height. The picture is inaccurate - I had the license renewed the week before I had gastric bypass surgery. I’m keeping it till I have to renew it - _that_ kind of arrest I’m lookin’ forward to 😃 VCNJ~ ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-drivers-license-accurate-for-height-weight/419986/17 "2007-09-21T16:22:58Z")
Virginia also doesn’t bother listing weight (though Maryland did: my old license was woefully incorrect in that regard _grin_). My listed height is correct. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-drivers-license-accurate-for-height-weight/419986/18 "2007-09-21T16:43:01Z")
Pennsylvania is civilized, and doesn’t have your weight on your driver’s license. So my conscience is clear 🆒 Back when I lived in states that did have weight on the license, I never ever would have raised the number (my weight was way wrong on my California license- fortunately, nobody seemed to care). If I’d lost even five pounds, though, I’d have been down to the DMV like a shot. Vanity, thy name is **Anne** … I suspect I’m not atypical in this. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-drivers-license-accurate-for-height-weight/419986/19 "2007-09-21T16:49:57Z")
[QUOTE=Eleanor of Aquitaine] I always thought most people’s licenses displayed whatever height and weight they gave the DMV when they were 16, or whenever they first got their license. [/QUOTE] That’s true in my case. I actually grew a couple inches taller since then, and, while I don’t know how much I weigh, I think it’s a bit more than what my license says (by maybe about 10 or 15%). Since neither is enough to be misleading, I’ve never bothered to change them. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-drivers-license-accurate-for-height-weight/419986/20 "2007-09-21T18:19:36Z")
TX only has height. Mine is wrong at 5 10. When I moved from Ohio, the DMV person said my height was wrong on my old license. They had me stand in front of one of their measuring devices. I’m actually 5 11. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-your-drivers-license-accurate-for-height-weight/419986.md?page=2)