California residents can now upload their driver's license to their smartphone and take part in the state's Mobile Driver's License pilot program, the California Department of Motor Vehicles announced.
The DMV kicked off the mobile driver’s license (mDL) pilot program back in May with a limited number of participants, but earlier this month, the public was invited to participate.
The pilot is currently capped at about 1.5 million participants, however, because mDLs are not accepted everywhere, yet, DMV encourages customers to continue to carry their physical card.
The CA DMV Wallet app can be accessed from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
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As of right now, the California mDL is only being accepted at selected international airports, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Jose, and 26 other airports in the country. Selected businesses that use TrueAge identification to verify their customers' ages are also able to use the mDL.
According to the DMV, the mDL offers a quick and secure identity confirmation at select airport checkpoints and a verifiable credential that can be used to buy age-restricted products at participating retail locations without sharing personal information.
The mDL in the California DMV Wallet is secured through the use of biometrics and encryption, and meets the highest federal and international security standards, making it harder for unauthorized individuals to access or steal the mDL, said Anita Gore, deputy director of public affairs office of DMV media relations.
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States that have already rolled out the digital card include Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Hawaii, Utah, and Maryland.
The DMV said it continues to work with interested groups to encourage acceptance of the mDL.
For more information to join the mDL pilot program, click here.
