Hoping to halt the issuing of fraudulent licenses, the state Motor Vehicle Administration is making it easier for drivers to report stolen or lost licenses.

The agency announced yesterday that a license holder can call a special number (950-1682) to report a missing or stolen license. The information will be immediately entered into the computer system at both the MVA and law enforcement agencies, MVA officials said.

With that information readily available, an MVA clerk would be more careful about issuing replacement licenses.

The changes are a response to an incident in February, when a man now in custody on homicide charges was able to obtain a license in the name of one of his alleged victims.

The suspect, Dontay Carter, was subsequently stopped twice by state police, who reviewed the altered license but let him go.

The MVA has also resumed issuing identification cards after a five-week suspension.