The card that millions of people use to prove their identity to everyone from police officers to liquor store owners may soon be a thing of the past as a growing number of states develop digital driver's licenses.
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With the advent of digital wallets and boarding passes, people are relying more on their phones to prove their identity. At least five states have implemented a mobile driver's license program. Three others – Utah, Iowa, and Florida – intend to launch programs by next year, with more expected to follow suit.
Some industry experts estimate that the coronavirus pandemic has sped up the widespread adoption of contactless identification methods by at least a decade.
In most states, people's data will be stored on their phone and with the DMV. People will only be able to access a mobile ID app with a passcode or using a smartphone's fingerprint or facial recognition scan.
Industry leaders say safeguards will prevent anyone's information from being stolen, but some critics argue that having so much personal data on a phone is too risky.
State officials and industry leaders say that moving away from physical IDs that could potentially be fraudulent to cryptographic verification will make it easier to confirm someone's identity.
