Would PennDOT introduce mobile driver’s licenses and ID cards?

A lot of people can relate to the moment of panic when you’re looking for your driver’s license or identification card and it’s not in its usual spot. I have certainly had my fair share of anxiety over losing my ID, usually accompanied by digging through my purse or wallet while holding up some type of line.

It hadn’t occurred to me until recently that digital licenses or IDs could be a solution to this problem. Maryland announced last month that it would be the first state to give residents the option of a digital ID in Google Wallet. This initiative, called Maryland Mobile ID, has also been available for Apple Wallet.

So while our neighbors to the south are shifting to digital IDs, this reporter was curious if Pennsylvania had any similar plans in the works.

Diego Sandino, press officer for driver and vehicle services at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), told Technical.ly the organization is in very early stages of talking about mobile IDs and driver’s licenses.

“We know that individuals have many items they traditionally kept in their wallets, but now many of these items reside on their smartphones. The driver’s license or ID card is one of the major items that still has not transitioned to a digital format,” he said via email. “PennDOT continues to look for ways to provide additional convenience to serve Pennsylvanians, and mobile driver’s licenses and ID cards are part of the conversation.”

Top of mind, too, is maintaining customers’ security and privacy, Sandino said, as is the safety of law enforcement during roadside traffic stops.

“Implementation of mobile driver’s licenses and ID cards will require new legislation and changes to existing statutes and regulations,” he said.

So while mobile IDs and driver’s licenses are not planned for the immediate future, they’re on PennDOT’s radar.

Sarah Huffman is a 2022-2024 corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The Groundtruth Project that pairs young journalists with local newsrooms. This position is supported by the Lenfest Institute for Journalism.