Drat. But, considering how expensive a driver's license is there, I don't think I'll need to worry about that any time soon ...

Why would you watch it!?

I'm not really surprised, I am not sure how it is over there but here for your ID photographs your meant to look as bland as possible. At least for the passport one. I'm not sure what I look like in my drivers one, grumpy probably, they don't like smiles or funny faces...

Edit: I just realised I always look miserable >_<

Cost me nearly 4000 bucks. Yeah, that's the price for a driver's license in Norway. It will cost even more if you svck at driving. I think our driving culture in Norway is way different than that of the U.S.

What....$4000 to drive..I know people who don't spend that much on their first car.



Someone get this man a medal

facial recognition software? sounds like some scary new step towards barcode tattoos

so you cant smile but they didnt say anything about frowning ha...i used to get drunk before taking those photos so i looked normal when out partying

Oh my [censored], that's expensive. At that price, I'd go and buy a bike.

It's even more expensive if you're a foreigner, and depending on your nationality. Yep, lots of public transportation (and cycling ...) for me for a while.

Thought it was common picture courtesy to smile. Sure, I look stoned in my FOID, State, and Driver's license, but at least I don't look like I want to rip someone's spine from their butt. And really now, you can smile in freaking IL! The government here in the Chicagoland area and Springfield try to regulate as much as they can.

I'd like to think you guys are kidding but my heart tells me you aren't.

Yeah, it's a lot of money, but we all do it (here). I did get the thought "what the [censored] am I doing with my money" halfway through the driving lessons, but yeah, it's worth it.

Too bad I can't afford a car... I just borrow the car I drive.

That's another thing ... you're an oil nation, and Scandi to boot, but your cars are so expensive ...

Yeah, it's a strange system.

> Blows away a small fortune to get a driver's license.
> Cost another small fortune to get a "decent" car.
> [censored]

We've never been able to smile for our license photos here in NSW (dunno about the other states), so I'm used to just having a mugshot.

Anyone who comments about mugshots and tries to link it to 'Australia's criminal past' will be stabbed to death with a spoon.

This. Mine looks like a certified mug shot, since I couldn't wear my glasses while taking the picture either. Even tho that exact license has a little designation on it saying that all times I'm driving I must be wearing my glasses.

I haven't seen a drivers license yet, or any other form of photo ID that has someone smiling. I got my health card updated a couple weeks ago and I was told not to smile. I doubt it's banned but its just best not to smile, because it distorts your face and its such a small photo. It needs to be as clear as possible.

Edit: I live in Canada.

smiling on license pics hasn't been allowed in Manitoba for as long as I can remember.

I'm sure they'd have a human check the images before prosecuting (for assault, murder, and other crimes), or at least on appeal (for things like traffic offences).

England, as a country, doesn't like smiles or funny faces. Or any expression of any sort of emotion, really (with the possible exception of disapproval). Happy people don't invade and colonise half the world .

See above... you're English .

That's including driving lessons though, no? The meat of the cost is in becoming a good enough driver to get a licence, rather than in the price of the licence itself?

I really don't see barcodes getting mandated anywhere... something like subdermal RFID tags are more likely, as they could be read from a distance (well, at least a couple of meters) and would be harder to mess with.

Same here in Victoria.

A rusty spoon. A rusty wooden spoon. And if the individual were from the USA, I would also point out that they only started sending convicts here in any real quantity after they couldn't send them to the Americas any more .

I live in New Jersey. I'll tell you what there is to be happy about.





Abso-[censored]Ing-lutely nothing in this God forsaken hell hole. There's too much traffic. A lot of stupid people. Newark, Paterson, Jersey City.....all dumps. There is nothing in this state worth smiling over.

On the subject of cost to drive here it's rather expensive. Lessons, you have to pay to take your theory and final test and then you've got to get a car. I've had my license for over a year but have not been able to drive cause of the insurance costs. My girlfriend phoned her insurers out of curosity and it would cost us around 1,000 for three months for putting me as the second driver on her car. Ouch!

Edit: Oh and that's not even mentioning petrol prices and such

BC here, it's the same.

Not a big deal although I don't like it when freedoms are taken away.

Rules were made to be broken, and freedoms were meant to be taken away.

were not, im sorry NJ is the worst place ive ever visted, and ive been to paris
people in NJ, make me want to kill myself, the traffic is bad,every place i ate at, tasted like cigarette buts, and it smelled terrible
Its like the state version of Detroit

Not being able to smile on your drivers license? What can I say? Its a Jersey thing.

to be fair, no country in their right mind would invade NJ. Not even the US...