Around 8,200 Michigan residents received newly issued or renewed driving licences printed with a stranger's face and a random date of birth instead of their own details, after a production error by contractor IDEMIA. The Michigan Department of State said the fault occurred during a print run on 26 August and affected only the photo and birth date field, with all other personal information on the cards remaining correct and belonging to the rightful holder. The mix-up has caused concern among affected residents, some of whom fear the altered cards could cause problems if used for identification, such as during a traffic stop.

The error came to light after resident Lanita Nelson noticed an unfamiliar smiling man's image in the corner of her enhanced licence and took to social media, where she discovered thousands of others had received similarly flawed cards. The state department confirmed the image was a generic stock photo, not linked to any real person's data, and said replacement licences have already been mailed automatically to everyone affected, with no need to report the fault. In the meantime, officials advised affected residents to obtain a temporary licence online or in person at a Secretary of State branch. IDEMIA, a French firm, was also blamed by New Jersey's governor in July for a separate software error that let more than 6,000 non-citizens register to vote.