If it does, both said they would work to get the necessary legislation passed. DMV Director Steven Gourley said he welcomes the senators' support and believes an upgrade of the thumbprinting process is imperative. The DMV has over 50 million digitized thumbprints in its computer database, but the system is unable to compare a print against others in the database. As a result, criminals apply for multiple licenses under different names, even though they give their thumbprint repeatedly to the DMV - but are not detected. The system also does not tell DMV clerks when the computer fails to get a proper read of a print.
Criminals intentionally alter their prints by using glue or hair spray.
Fraud investigators said it is not uncommon to find criminals with dozens of fraudulent licenses that they obtained by easily slipping through the DMV system. He believes the number of fraudulent licenses issued annually by the department is closer to 300,000. Gourley and other high-ranking DMV officials say they believe the number is far lower than the 100,000 widely circulated in the DMV's internal records and backed by DMV investigators. But they have not come up with their own estimates. There were moments of levity mixed with seriousness at the hearing.