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Tax Collector office to close early

 

TAMPA, Fla. (Nov. 16, 2005) - The Brandon office of the Hillsborough County Tax Collector will close at 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18, for the installation of a new state driver license system, Tax Collector Doug Belden announced today.

 

The office, located at 2211 N. Falkenburg Road, will reopen at its normal time on Monday, Nov. 21, at 8 a.m., Belden said.

 

The changes, prompted by Homeland Security issues, mean a new look for the Florida driver license as well as a change in how the license is issued, Belden said. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has been slowly swapping out the equipment throughout the state since late last year.

 

The new license is much harder to duplicate and contains many new security features - some of which motorists can see and some of which they can’t, Belden added. The new license features a different background, a barcode, a magnetic stripe and two visible images of the driver. In addition, the license for individuals under 21 is a vertical design instead of the traditional horizontal shape. This makes it easier for clerks and authorities to verify someone’s birth date. Belden said.

 

There is also a change in the way local and state agencies issue drivers licenses. Under the old system, the picture was taken at the end of the application or renewal process. Now, the picture will be taken when the individual first enters the office.

 

“The changes will ultimately make our state a safer place,” Belden said, “but the potential is also there to speed up the process that it takes to issue a license. With the new design comes new equipment that is faster and which can produce a license more quickly.”

 

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