California has expanded eligibility for its mobile driver's license pilot program, significantly increasing access nearly three years after the digital IDs first launched.
Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this month signed legislation — Senate Bill 169 — which raised the cap for the state’s Mobile Driver License Pilot Program
from 15% to 60% of the state’s licensed drivers, the governor’s office said in a news release.The program allows residents to store a mobile driver's license on their smartphones and present a digital ID at select locations in place of a physical card.
“California’s DMV has put in the hard work to make operations more efficient and modernize how people get things done,” Newsom said in a statement. “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.”
Here’s what to know about California’s Mobile Driver License Pilot Program, including how to get a digital ID on your phone.
What Californians should know about mobile driver's licenses
California’s mobile driver’s license, or mDL program, began in 2022 under Assembly Bill 1503, which authorized the Department of Motor Vehicles to create a pilot program.
The pilot program launched in August 2023 “as part of the statewide Digital Identity Framework that allows the state to securely and conveniently verify people’s identity,” the governor’s office said in a September 2024 news release.
A goal of the framework is to allow California residents access to state services with one credential, their digital ID.
State officials say Apple and the DMV do not know when, where or to whom users present their mobile driver's license or state ID.
How many mobile licenses have been issued?
About 3.9 million mobile driver's licenses have been issued across the state as of July 1, according to the DMV. There are more than 35 million residents with a driver’s license or identification card in the state, DMV data shows.
Los Angeles County leads with more than 825,000 mobile licenses. Santa Clara, Orange, San Diego and Alameda counties follow, each with between 200,000 and 300,000 licenses.
Where can / can’t mobile license be used?
A mobile driver's license does not replace a physical driver's license or ID card. For instance, Californians are still required to carry their physical license while driving.
“Many law enforcement, government agencies, and businesses do not accept the mDL yet,” the DMV says.
Instead, residents can use their mobile licenses at “select businesses” and select TSA checkpoints, including at LAX and the San Francisco International Airport. Currently, there are about 825 businesses that accept the state's digital licenses, according to the DMV.
How to get digital license in California
To get a mobile license on your smartphone, you will need to download the CA DMV Wallet app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Once you launch the app, you will be prompted to login to your MyDMV Account or to create one. You will be asked to provide your driver's license or identification card and other information.
The app will prompt you to scan your physical driver’s license or identification card. The app will also ask to verify your identity with a facial scan.
Your request for a mobile driver's license will then be submitted for DMV review.
Once approved, you can add your digital license to your phone.
To keep your mobile driver's license active, you'll need to refresh it every 30 days by selecting the "Refresh Driver's License" option in the app.
Travelers can also have mobile passports
Separately, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection also provides travelers the option to add a mobile passport to their smartphones.
Mobile Passport Control is a free app that allows eligible travelers to submit passport and declaration details via smartphone to use expedited lanes.
“It is available to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, Canadian B1/B2 visitors, and returning Visa Waiver Program travelers with an ESTA,” according to CBP.
Similar to the mDL, an MPC does not replace a physical passport.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: California expands access to mobile driver’s licenses. How to get one
