The days of panicking after leaving your driver’s license on the kitchen counter may soon feel like a thing of the past.
Californians are set to get broader access to digital identification through an expanded mobile driver’s license program approved by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The change is part of SB 169, a sweeping transportation measure that was originally introduced in 2023.
Under the new law, California’s Mobile Driver License Pilot Program will grow significantly, raising the participation cap from 13% to 60% of eligible users. That expansion could allow about 17 million residents to store and access their ID digitally.
“California’s DMV has put in the hard work to make operations more efficient and modernize how people get things done,” Newsom said. “Now we’re going further by cutting the red tape that slows government down and giving more Californians the option to carry their ID right on their phone.”
To use the California mobile driver’s license, residents can download the DMV’s mobile ID app, complete the identity verification process and add the digital version of their license to their smartphone.
Once set up, the mobile ID can be used at select TSA security checkpoints, participating retailers including gas stations and convenience stores, and in some cases when applying for financial aid.
Still, the digital license will not fully replace the plastic card just yet. According to the California DMV website, law enforcement and certain government agencies may continue to require a physical driver’s license or ID.
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“Go through TSA just by tapping or scanning your driver’s license so you don’t need to take your plastic card out,” said DMV Chief Digital Transformation Officer Ajay Gupta. “You can get your age verification done at many locations and online services like at DMV you can log in using this credential.”
The digital offensive is part of a decade-long plan to modernize the DMV and streamline the experience for customers.
According to Newsom, driver wait times at the government org have plummeted by 40% thanks to the overhaul.
Many California residents say that the mobile makeover will help expedite DMV operations.
“I think it might be a good thing because you don’t have to wait in these long lines and all that other stuff to get your driver’s license and whatever you need from the DMV at the time,” said DMV customer Laray Young.
Gupta feels that the initiative could become “very popular soon” given that millennials and Gen Z carry everything on their phones rather than in their wallets.
As for privacy concerns, the DMV even claims that “usage is not tracked, and no data leaves your device without your consent.”
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