As part of California’s mobile driver’s license (mDL) pilot program, participants will soon have access to their digital IDs through Google and Apple wallet, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The current program, which started a year ago, is limited to 1.5 million participants. Those enrolled access their mDL through the California DMV Wallet app.
Newsom announced the most recent development on Aug. 15 in a news release.
“We’re partnering with two iconic California companies—Apple and Google. ... This is a big step in our efforts to better serve all Californians, meeting people where they’re at and with technology people use every day,” Newsom said.
Participants can use their mDL, which can be a driver’s license or California ID card, in their Google or Apple Wallet app at some businesses and at Transportation Security Administration airport checkpoints.
So far, more than 500,000 Californians have added an mDL to their phone, through the DMV Wallet app.
California DMV Director Steve Gordon said in the release that while the agency looks to expand the availability of digital IDs, it is also focused on “ensuring the highest level of privacy and security.”
The mDL may add convenience when shopping at select businesses or visiting the airport but doesn’t replace the requirement to carry a physical card, according to the release.
The DMV is working to widen acceptance of mDLs among financial institutions, law enforcement, retail stores, and government agencies.
The DMV will also be hosting two “hackathons” in the fall for those accepting the mobile licenses to learn how to incorporate it into their customer experience, said the news release. No dates were given.
The current mobile app is available to Apple users with an iPhone 6 and newer with iOS 13 or more recent operating systems and Android users with Android 7.0 or newer, according to the DMV.
Airports including Los Angeles International, San Francisco, and more than 20 others nationwide accept the new mDL as a form of identification.
The DMV said retailers and businesses in Sacramento that accept TruAge identification—a digital age verification tool—have begun accepting the mDL for age-restricted products.
In Los Angeles, the City National Plaza and Bank of America Plaza, both downtown, are two such locations.
According to the DMV, the mDL doesn’t track usage or take data without consent, and provides accurate and secure proof of identity to businesses while lowering fraud and identity theft for users.
Other states currently offering a digital driver’s license include Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and over a dozen more.
