According to Action News 5, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS) will offer free replacement driver's licenses beginning June 23 for residents whose licenses are not scanning properly.
The scanning problem, which has affected some licenses issued in recent years, is believed to stem from wear or manufacturing defects in the barcode or magnetic stripe. DPS officials said the issue does not affect the validity of the license as identification but can cause delays at checkpoints or when making purchases requiring barcode scanning.
Residents who suspect their license has scanning issues can visit any DPS driver's license station to have it tested. If the license fails to scan, a free replacement will be issued on the spot. The offer runs from June 23 through the end of the year.