While the actual technology has been around for years, it’s only recently that the federal government and states are beginning to take steps to implement these for everyday use. That, along with the fact that major tech companies like Apple and Google (in Beta) are providing the ability to store your ID on your phone, means that the use of digital driver’s licenses is on the rise!

IDEMIA Identity and Security (I&S) North America partnered with the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR) to launch the Missouri Mobile ID App. State residents can now securely access their digital credentials from a free app either from the Apple App Store or Google Play. With real-time credential updates, verifiers can access the most up-to-date status of the ID, including if it’s been revoked or canceled.

DMVs have long provided organizations and individuals alike with a key identity verification tool in the form of a physical driver’s license. Today, DMVs are facing pressure on how to modernize the role they play in identity verification to meet the needs of an increasingly digital world while at the same time ensuring individual safety, privacy, and convenience.

A bill in the Illinois House of Representatives proposes giving residents the option of having a digital driver’s license, which could bring the days of needing to have your license in your wallet to an end. The legislation, introduced by Illinois Rep. Kam Buckner, would allow drivers to legally present a digital version of their driver’s license when requested by law enforcement during a traffic stop or checkpoint.

Illinois could become the next U.S. state to offer digital driver’s licenses. As smartphones become more commonplace across the entire population, digital debit and credit card payment applications have gone from a convenient alternative to an actual replacement for some people. The growing normalcy for handheld technology in our everyday lives has now created a demand to digitize another card in our wallets, our driver’s license.

Illinois may become the next state to offer a digitized driver’s license. House Bill 1110, introduced by Representative Kam Buckner, aims to amend the Illinois Vehicle Code to permit the use of a digitized driver’s license. This would enable Illinois residents to show a digitized license to law enforcement officers during traffic stops or checkpoints, without the risk of receiving a citation for not having a physical copy.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is looking for input on how best to create a unified standard for strongly verifiable and trustworthy IDs on mobile devices. At the same time, the state of New York says it will join those of its peers who have some version of a mobile driver’s license.

Over the last two decades, mobile devices have become a commodity technology with users of all economic backgrounds and ages across the globe. These devices have become convenient platforms for many uses, including ordering a ride, making payments, checking in to a flight, accessing the gym, storing concert tickets, etc.

First generation CAT units are designed to scan a traveler’s photo identification, confirm the traveler’s identity as well as their flight details. The new CAT units, referred to as CAT-2, have the same capabilities, but are also equipped with a camera that captures a real-time photo of the traveler.

More than 20,000 Utahns have now signed up for mobile licenses since the technology became available in 2021, about double the number prior to the announcement, according to GET Group, the company that Utah partners with on the app. Company officials add that there has been an average of 1,500 people who have downloaded the app per day over the past week.