FaceTec’s UR Codes aim to close this gap by biometrically binding a physical identity document to its rightful owner
FaceTec’s biometric-backed UR Code technology is rapidly gaining traction worldwide as law enforcement agencies, border authorities and government bodies search for more reliable ways to combat identity fraud. The surge in interest comes amid escalating cases of impersonation, counterfeit IDs and damaged biometric passports, according to insights shared by Owen McShane, Vice President of Government Relations at FaceTec.
McShane, who previously handled thousands of fake driver’s licences during his investigative work with New York State, said the nature of identity fraud has dramatically changed over the past decade. Counterfeit IDs, once used mainly by teenagers attempting to purchase alcohol, are now enabling large-scale financial fraud — from illicit bank accounts to fraudulent car purchases and loans.
To counter these threats, New York State introduced digitally signed barcodes on driver’s licences, which successfully blocked counterfeits. However, criminals soon shifted to impersonation using genuine IDs belonging to lookalikes — a weakness inherent in manual verification processes.
FaceTec’s UR Codes aim to close this gap by biometrically binding a physical identity document to its rightful owner, ensuring no one else can use it. When a 2D face photo is encoded into a UR Code, verification takes about five seconds with high accuracy, achieving a false accept rate as low as 1 in 2 million when paired with FaceTec’s 3D Liveness check.
Growing Need Across Continents
At ID4Africa 2025 in Addis Ababa, African officials told McShane they face a similar challenge: individuals breaking the electronic chip on biometric passports to force border guards into manual checks. UR Codes offer a low-cost solution — requiring “only the cost of ink” — while providing strong biometric binding.
Interest from African governments is focused on passports and national IDs, with additional discussions underway for embassy security.
Expanding Use Cases & Early Adoption
UR Codes are attracting attention from U.S. DMVs, which see value in adding them to interim licences — a vulnerability period between issuance approval and card delivery. FaceTec is currently in talks with about ten DMVs.
Law enforcement adoption is also accelerating. The first agency began issuing IDs with UR Codes in August, followed by a major U.S. shipping port in September. More than 100 agencies across North America are working to integrate the technology into officer IDs, including HR218 cards.
Beyond policing, interest is emerging from industries such as critical infrastructure, nuclear power, rental services, amusement parks, concert venues and universities seeking cost-effective student IDs.
Low- cost Upgrade for Global ID Security
Many countries, particularly in Africa, produce IDs without advanced security features due to cost constraints. UR Codes provide a scalable alternative: a 2 cm × 2 cm printed code that can be scanned with any smartphone. Agencies, NGOs and educational institutions can generate unlimited UR Codes using FaceTec’s encoder software at no cost.
McShane notes that the rise in identity theft — the top consumer crime in the United States — is being accelerated by AI-driven impersonation scams. UR Codes, he argues, can help reverse this trend by tying identity data directly to its rightful owner.
Extensive Outreach & Rapid Expansion
FaceTec is running an aggressive education campaign, presenting UR Codes at major global events such as Identity Week Europe, Intergraf Currency+Identity in Milan and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Participation is planned at more than 80 events in 2025, with even more scheduled for 2026.
The company is also partnering with major U.S. ID card manufacturers, as state DMVs increasingly demand UR Code–ready identity documents.
“The transition to biometrically bound IDs has already begun,” McShane said. “UR Codes are what we need to drastically stop fraudulent IDs from costing us billions.”
With early adopters in law enforcement, border control, transportation and public services, FaceTec expects widespread global deployment as identity fraud continues to evolve — and intensify.
