Digital Drivers Licenses On Their Way to Iowa
Old habits might die hard, or perhaps, in this case, give way to a welcome change for some. If you still like fumbling around with your wallet to find the cash to pay for things or enjoy the comfort of having your physical ID, don't "panic" just yet. But by the end of the year, the Iowa Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle department expects to have a program ready that's been in the works for years. "Mobile ID" is on its way.
The only question is how soon it might become the ONLY option.
One of the few things left that you still can't do on your phone is flash your driver's license. KWQC-TV says that's about to change. The Iowa Department of Transportation is getting closer to making digital drivers' licenses a reality. Once it's implemented, it won't be a requirement immediately but will become available by download through Google Play or Apple. A user would download and fill out an application which would include scanning the front and back of their physical license to add the pertinent information to the digital ID. You could even take your own "selfie" for a (hopefully much better) ID photo, as long as they can recognize you.
It has its skeptics but proponents tout not only the convenience but the security of the digital option for driver's licenses, as they say, you would not have to display all your personal information. If all you'd need to do is show your age, that's all you'd have to show. Not your address or other details.
Five other states have already begun using this program, with Utah and Florida soon to join next year.