Georgia Driver's License Issue Date
Georgia driver's licenses are different from most other states: the issue date is not printed on the front of the card. The Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) only shows the expiration date and your date of birth on the visible side. The issue date lives inside the machine-readable barcode on the back, labeled DBD (Document Issue Date).
"ISS" is short for "Issue Date" — the day your current license card was printed. It is not necessarily the day you first became a licensed driver in the state.
What does the gold or black star mean on a Georgia license?
A small star in the upper-right corner marks the card as REAL ID compliant. Georgia issues both REAL ID and non-REAL-ID cards; only REAL-ID-compliant cards work as federally accepted ID for domestic flights starting May 7, 2025.
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What does "DD" mean on a Georgia license?
DD is the Document Discriminator, a serial number unique to that specific card. It is reissued every time you renew or replace your license.
What does "RSTR" or "END" mean?
RSTR is Restrictions (corrective lenses, daylight-only, etc.), and END is Endorsements (mostly for CDL holders).
Where is the Georgia issue date actually printed?
Georgia driver's licenses are unusual: the visible front of the card prints only the expiration date — not the issue date. The day your current card was issued is encoded in the PDF417 barcode on the back, under the AAMVA field code DBD ("Document Issue Date").
That means if a bank, employer, or insurance company needs the issue date, they have to either:
- Scan the back-of-card barcode with a compliant reader, or
- Pull your record from the Georgia Department of Driver Services online portal.
You cannot recover the issue date by looking at the front of the card alone.
How long is a Georgia driver's license valid?
A standard Georgia Class C driver's license is valid for 8 years. Drivers 60 and older have a 5-year option, and online renewal is available every other cycle through Georgia DDS Online Services.
Need an older issue date?
If you need the date you were first licensed in Georgia (for an insurance discount, employment screening, or a CDL application), that information lives in your full driving record — not on the plastic card. Request it from the Georgia Department of Driver Services at https://dds.georgia.gov/.
For a visual tour of every state's driver license design, see our full guide.
