# Why do we even have sex/gender on drivers licenses or passports? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 20, 2025, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-have-sex-gender-on-drivers-licenses-or-passports/1023240 "2025-09-20T22:02:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-have-sex-gender-on-drivers-licenses-or-passports/1023240/41 "2025-09-24T20:05:29Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > Just sex and birthdate. That’s to remind everyone that you get free sex on your birthday. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-have-sex-gender-on-drivers-licenses-or-passports/1023240/42 "2025-09-24T20:23:38Z")
> [@Larsedik](#): > > I’m not sure what color my eyes are either - they are a combination of green and light brown, but sometimes they look completely green. Based on that description, you likely have hazel eyes. > [@](#): > > The hazel color of eyes is caused by a combination of [Rayleigh scattering](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayleigh_scattering) and a moderate amount of melanin in the iris’ anterior border layer.[[4]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_color#cite_note-Wang-4)[[35]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_color#cite_note-Lefohn-35) Hazel eyes often appear to shift in color from a brown to a green. Although hazel mostly consists of brown and green, the dominant color in the eye can either be brown/gold or green. > **[Eye color | Hazel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_color#Hazel)** > > The hazel color of eyes is caused by a combination of Rayleigh scattering and a moderate amount of melanin in the iris' anterior border layer. Hazel eyes often appear to shift in color from a brown to a green. Although hazel mostly consists of brown and green, the dominant color in the eye can either be brown/gold or green. This is why hazel eyes can be mistaken as amber, and why amber is often counted as hazel in studies, and vice versa. The combination can som Definitions of the eye color "haze... ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-have-sex-gender-on-drivers-licenses-or-passports/1023240/43 "2025-09-24T21:36:27Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > NY started issuing licenses in 1903 but those were badges. Starting in 1910, chauffeur’s licenses\* had photos - but only chauffeur’s licenses. Ordinary licenses didn’t get photos until 1984. Thx. I wonder (very mildly - don’t REALLY care) when they moved from badges to something with ostensibly personally identifying characteristics - hair/eye color, sex, etc. (I just read a book on infrastructure which described how surprisingly late (to me, at least) it was before conventions such as consistent street striping, highway numbers, etc. were adopted.) My intended point was that it probably wasn’t all that much longer of a time that drivers licenses HAD such info - maybe 60-ish years? - compared to the time since they’ve had photos - likely 40-ish+ years. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-have-sex-gender-on-drivers-licenses-or-passports/1023240/44 "2025-09-24T21:49:13Z")
I think this will work ([https://archive.nytimes.com/screenshots/www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/03/17/nyregion/17licenses-evolution.jpg](https://archive.nytimes.com/screenshots/www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/03/17/nyregion/17licenses-evolution.jpg)) but just in case , it seems the description and photo were both part of the switch from badges to paper licenses in 1910 That book sounds interesting ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-have-sex-gender-on-drivers-licenses-or-passports/1023240/45 "2025-09-24T22:35:16Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > That book sounds interesting The Road Taken, by Henry Petroski. An engineer, writes very clearly about things I find interesting. I REALLY enjoyed his books The Pencil (more than you could imagine possible about the title) and The Evolution of Useful Things (basically what the title says. How we came up with things like the wheelbarrow, paperclip…). Everything he has written is not classic, but if you are looking for something to read, you might do well to remember his name. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-have-sex-gender-on-drivers-licenses-or-passports/1023240/46 "2025-09-24T22:41:47Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Here in Illinois they started using photos in 77. California started much earlier - think they were pretty widespread by early 80s. California started requiring photos on drivers licenses in 1958. Cite: > **[Fast Facts: The 113-Year History of the Driver's License](https://www.motortrend.com/news/fast-facts-the-113-year-history-of-the-drivers-license-110875)** > > Created in the 19th century, the driver’s license has been the crucible through which all must pass in the quest for liberty. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-even-have-sex-gender-on-drivers-licenses-or-passports/1023240.md?page=2)