BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Forgetting your driver's license at home may soon be less of a concern for millions of California drivers.
Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed Senate Bill 169 into law, expanding California's mobile driver's license program and allowing more residents to carry a digital version of their identification on their smartphone.
The program however isn't new, it first launched in 2023. The new law simply expands access by increasing participation from 15% to 60%.
According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, that opens the program to roughly 17 million drivers statewide.
The mobile driver's license is available through the DMV's mobile ID app. After downloading the app, users verify their identity and can add a digital version of their driver's license to their phone.
DMV Chief Digital Transformation Officer Ajay Gupta says the mobile ID offers added convenience for everyday use.
"Go through TSA just by tapping or scanning your driver's license so you don't need to take your plastic card out. You can get your age verification done at many locations and online services like at DMV you can log in using this credential," said Gupta.
Gupta says the digital driver's license can be used at participating TSA airport security checkpoints, for age verification at participating businesses, to access certain online government services, and is an acceptable form of identification when interacting with law enforcement. It can also be used to help verify identity when applying for college financial aid.
Beyond expanding access to mobile ID's, SB 169 is designed to modernize DMV operations by reducing paperwork, streamlining customer communications, and helping cut down on in-person office visits.
Some believe the changes could make DMV services more convenient.
"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.
The program is already gaining traction locally. Gupta says more than 40,000 Kern County residents are currently using a mobile driver's license, and he expects participation to continue growing under the expanded program.
"As you know, millennials and Gen Z, they don't carry their wallets, they only carry their phones. The convenience of just carrying it on a single device, that's going to become very, very popular very soon," Gupta said.
Drivers interested in enrolling in the mobile driver's license program can find eligibility and enrollment information here.
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:
