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Apple, Google Wallets To Carry California Driver's Licenses (axios.com) 50

Posted by msmash from the up-next dept.
Californians' driver's licenses are going digital as people will soon be able to carry them in their Apple or Google wallets. From a report: The governor's office says it's a secure and convenient tool that will allow users to more easily undergo ID verification, such as airport screenings. The virtual wallet capabilities, which are set to roll out "in the coming weeks," will allow users to add and access California driver's licenses and ID cards on their iPhones, Apple Watch and Android devices -- similar to credit cards.

They will be authorized for use in TSA screenings, select apps and select businesses, such as Circle K. Participating airports in the state include SFO, SJC and LAX. The new format, which Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to announce Thursday, is part of the DMV's broader mobile driver's license (mDL) pilot, which launched last year. "This is a big step in our efforts to better serve all Californians, meeting people where they're at and with technology people use every day," Newsom said in a statement shared first with Axios.
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Apple, Google Wallets To Carry California Driver's Licenses More

Apple, Google Wallets To Carry California Driver's Licenses

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  • I'm not sure how I feel about this. (Score:5, Informative)

    by mmell ( 832646 ) on Thursday August 15, 2024 @03:28PM (#64709336)
    I already have my insurance card in there (Geico's app). I had to show it to an officer (never mind what was going on . . . ), he more or less smoothly took my unlocked phone out of my hand as he politely asked if he could take it with him for a moment. No, I didn't stand up for my rights and demand he give me my phone back immediately. He walked back to his cruiser and spent about twenty minutes doing whatever he was doing. If my wife hadn't been with me and had I not been wearing my smartwatch, he would have quickly and easily have rendered me totally incommunicado.
    • This is a serious issue, and has happened to be by the police asking for proof of insurance. I politely asked the officer to write everything he needed on the card when he asked if he could take my phone, and I declined. I offered to write it for him if he wanted, he said he didnt need it since it was valid. I thought to myself, then why ask? Apple / Google will need to come up with a way to "app lock" the identification functions. Apple is making good progress, as they are making all apps securable via pin
      • As in, cut off from the safety of the herd. It's part of their pack hunting strategy, highly effective. And they are hunters, why do you think they refer to themselves collectively as LEO's?

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by taustin ( 171655 )

          There's more than one reason I carry two phones. That's not the main one, but it's a nice side benefit.

      • Apple / Google will need to come up with a way to "app lock" the identification functions.

        Apple already does this - it's called "Guided Access" - triple click the home button (or some other trigger you can define), and the device is "locked" to that app, and cannot navigate away to anything else.

        But that doesn't block access to the physical port, AFAIK (though their "Lockdown Mode" might offer that).

        There's also stuff coming in iOS 18 for locking apps.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Sebby ( 238625 )

        Apple / Google will need to come up with a way to "app lock" the identification functions

        Also (to add to what I posted earlier) - you can bring up the 'Wallet' on Apple from the lock screen, meaning you should be able to show your insurance card without having the device unlocked; in my case, the worse an officer could get at is all my other reward cards & insurance drug card that I also have on there (and if you have any credit cards on there, they can't do any purchase without your fingerprint).

    • You could also carry (with your things or in the car) a dedicated tablet that you exclusively use for the government-mandated things, no personal data. I personally do that as I use alternative mobile OS (not android based) on my phone, so I don't have any commercial apps. I have a separate Android tablet for all the "mandatory" apps.

      • You could also carry (with your things or in the car) a dedicated tablet that you exclusively use for the government-mandated things, no personal data. I personally do that as I use alternative mobile OS (not android based) on my phone, so I don't have any commercial apps. I have a separate Android tablet for all the "mandatory" apps.

        Or one could carry the original physical driver's license in one's wallet. I carry physical credit cards along with cash for those places where Google Wallet isn't an option.

    • Re:I'm not sure how I feel about this. (Score:4, Insightful)

      by ljw1004 ( 764174 ) on Thursday August 15, 2024 @04:22PM (#64709522)

      I already have my insurance card in there (Geico's app). I had to show it to an officer (never mind what was going on . . . ), he more or less smoothly took my unlocked phone out of my hand as he politely asked if he could take it with him for a moment.

      What I'll do is use my phone where it's convenient to me like showing ID to rent a car or board a plane, and I'll use traditional card/paper when giving it to a police officer.

      • I already have my insurance card in there (Geico's app). I had to show it to an officer (never mind what was going on . . . ), he more or less smoothly took my unlocked phone out of my hand as he politely asked if he could take it with him for a moment.

        What I'll do is use my phone where it's convenient to me like showing ID to rent a car or board a plane, and I'll use traditional card/paper when giving it to a police officer.

        Aren't some of the people standing between you and the airplane "officers"?

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by dskoll ( 99328 )

      I'm very sure how I feel about this, and how I feel about it is HELL NO.

      I do not see what advantage a digital ID gives me over a physical card, and I see plenty of disadvantages.

    • You offered your phone, end of story. Print a hardcopy to hand over if you don't want to hand over your phone.

  • Don't ever hand your smart phone to the police (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Hey_Jude_Jesus ( 3442653 ) on Thursday August 15, 2024 @03:29PM (#64709350)
    Or any other government agent. We have to at the US border, but for any other reason don't do it. They can download the contents of the phone to search through it for any "crimes" you may have committed. IMHO.

  • Interesting (Score:2, Insightful)

    by The Cat ( 19816 )

    Airports are under federal jurisdiction. When was the California Digital ID approved by Congress as valid for TSA screenings and identification to board a plane?

    Further, California residents can rely on the same iD being approved at the other airport, correct? If not, how do they get home? Were other states consulted or was Gavin Newsom appointed Viceroy of the Federal Protectorate recently?

    So we have a digital ID established by a single state that is (must be?) valid at airports nationwide. I read the new

    • For the record, the TSA does not have the authority to approve this on its own. See, we have this Constitution that says Congress makes the laws.

      It would be nice if all laws were discussed by representative bodies before being enacted, to consider the various implications like some of your points above. At present it looks like we have a mixed goverment, with some things being decided by Congressional legislation and some things by executive branch agencies deciding how they will interpret or apply or act within the scope of the detailed or vague laws that they believe apply to them. Some say this lets experts make the best decisions without havin

    • 30s of google could have saved you a lot of typing. Obviously this would have taken an act of congress, and it did. the 2020 REAL Id Modernization act.

      https://www.congress.gov/bill/... [congress.gov]

      (The irony being at the speed of govt by the time REAL ids are actually required everyone will use mobile).

      • Mind you, this could be the beginning of a Star Trekian future where crime is rapidly investigated to an absolutely reliable and accurate conclusion and fugitives can't even run anymore - but I'll lay odds against it. The odds will involve exponential notation.
    • Pretty sure individual states and many other entities accept each other's physical drivers licenses. Seems a dozen other states already have digital licenses as well and this is nothing new.

      https://www.zdnet.com/article/... [zdnet.com]

      TSA already has a protocol for this. Not sure why you expect Congress to micromanage every little thing. They can barely do anything at the best of times.

      https://www.tsa.gov/digital-id [tsa.gov]

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by The Cat ( 19816 )

        Pretty sure individual states and many other entities accept each other's physical drivers licenses.

        They are required to under the full faith and credit clause of the Constitution. My question is were other states involved in the process of substituting federal documents instead.

        Not sure why you expect Congress to micromanage every little thing.

        Because that's their job.

    • > When was the California Digital ID approved by
      > Congress as valid for TSA screenings and
      > identification to board a plane?

      When the California digital driver's license thing was in its pilot program phase with the utterly craptastic app, it did mention that it was acceptable at "certain airports". I don't recall if there was a list of those airports because the app was a hot mess under the best of circumstances and, more often, totally unusable.

      > Were other states consulted

      There was and is no

  • I didn't see it mentioned; Do I have to fully unlock my phone to present my ID?

    If so, no thank you.

  • And say thank you afterwards.

  • The problem is that until it can be used everywhere I'll still have to carry the physical card, just as I have to carry my credit card (thank you, Home Depot!).

  • The virtualization of DMV activities is partly motivated by state mandates for jurisdictions to build more housing. The city with the DMV nearest to me is already at build-out, but is required to build more, so they are set to re-zone the land with the DMV office and demolish it to build the mandated housing.
  • As a ( (somewhat) former) (increasingly) little-l-libertarian, I've long advocated for the driver's license to be used solely to identify whether an individual can drive adequately well, and not as a token in some de facto government citizen registry. But I've driven in California, and I can attest that either they don't subscribe to that theory, or all those drivers were unlicensed.
    • You mean like how our social security numbers are used for ID purposes even though they were never intended for that? Using your social security number as an "ID" would be like using your bank account number as a universal ID. Thats essentially what a SS # is.
  • That this isn't going to turn out like those stupid phone cases that is also a wallet, and gives a thief an opportunity to snatch it and have your cards and an unlocked phone to do you real damage with. There needs to be some hard core security on these "e-ID's" or whatever trendy name they decide to settle on. Also I've noticed: "Identity theft is the number one problem in the US! Thieves can destroy your life! Get something something Lock!" - (companies continue to release products that make such ID thef
  • I have to show the TSA my driver's license on one side and my boarding pass on the other.

  • Normally I would prefer to use the physical card, but it would be nice to also have it on the phone. There are so many times when I've gone to the car to run a quick errand and realized that I need to grab my wallet because I'm supposed to carry my license with me. I would much prefer to not have that issue.

    Of course, if I do get pulled over, it's likely that the officer already ran my plates and knows who I am and that my license is valid, so it's all redundant. Though I was told by an officer that 95%

  • SO what states accept these new digital License. Ohio now allows the Ohio DL in the apple wallet but WILL NOT accept it for proof at the voting booth. you must have a "valid" drivers license. How will agencies that use the bar strip on the license for additional license, hunting/shooting permits. They need a physical card. what about other states? Do they or will they accept a phone DL? Personally I dont want hand a police my unlocked phone to a police to prove who I am.

  • While this sounds super convenient I would rather not. What if my phone dies and then I get pulled over for a traffic violation? I also don't want to unlock my phone for a police officer for any reason. EVER.

    That's two good reasons to keep my physical ID, insurance and registration cards.

    Eventually, they will probably make this mandatory but that's hopefully a long way off.

  • I'll keep my physical ID card. Last thing I want to do is hand over my unlocked phone to govt goons so they can "check my id"
  • My driver's license is in my own wallet...safe and secure along with car insurance card. Thing is, all that info is already in the police system, when they scan your car tag, they know it already !!!
    • It's called Flock !! Scans tag, knows it you have a valid driver's license, any outstanding warrants, has car insurance, etc.

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