That exciting rite of passage-- getting your driver’s license picture taken-- is changing. For me, back in high school, it was a big deal. First and most importantly, I passed the driving test on my first attempt—mastered those K-turns!-- and was psyched to have my photo snapped for my license.

I braved the long line at the Department of Motor Vehicles and came dressed for the occasion—my first official photo ID. After all, this is the picture I would use to cash a check or get into a bar.

But now the whole picture process has changed. In fact, getting your photo taken today is really nothing to smile about—literally! A mandatory new policy—in effect since February-- means you can’t break into a big grin—and it’s not just in New Jersey either.

A growing number of states won’t allow drivers to smile wide in their license photos—among them Arkansas, Indiana, Nevada, and Virginia. The facial recognition software launched earlier this year requires a neutral facial expression to work properly.

If you smile too wide or too big, it throws off the software which is designed to catch fraud and identity theft—and I am all for that. According to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission spokesperson, using facial-recognition technology is part of New Jersey's effort to sort through 19 million photo records to catch phonies who are trying to create a new identity or to find those people who are trying to cheat another state agency for services.

Here’s how it works: the high-tech software compares a new license picture with one that has already been shot. When a new photo seems to match an existing one, the software sends an out alarm that someone might be trying to assume another driver's identity. The catch is that someone’s smile can sour the process. Dull expressions, according to a deputy commissioner of the Virginia DMV, which implemented the practice last March, make the comparison process more accurate.