CA DMV Pushes Electronic Driver's License

Apple IPhone. Photo from Alpha Media USA Portland OR

The California Department of Motor Vehicles is pushing its MV Wallet/Mobile Driver’s License (mDL) this holiday season, selling it as a quick and secure identity check for people heading to an airport.

More than 300,000 Californians have downloaded the electronic drivers license since the California DMV launched an expanded pilot program in August.

If you are a TSA PreCheck passenger, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) now accepts the California mDL at United Airlines security checkpoints at Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO) international airports. San Jose International Airport (SJC) and 25 airports nationwide also accept the mDL. Just show the mDL to TSA, scan the QR code and proceed through screening.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles has made it easy for iOS and Android phone users to download the CA DMV Wallet App to create a mDL. To get started, access or create your “MyDMV” account at www.dmv.ca.gov/mdl, have your valid California driver’s license or identification card handy, and use the camera on your smartphone for authentication. Download the app from the Apple Store or Google Play.

The CA DMV Wallet/mDL is a voluntary pilot program, limited to 1.5 million participants. Keep on mid, the electronic drivers license does not replace a physical driver’s license or state-issued identification card but gives Californians another convenient option for identity verification and more control over how they share their information. Pilot participants still must carry their physical drivers license card because smartphones might be smart, but they also break, get dropped, get lost, get stolen.

Apple IPhone.

Photo from Alpha Media USA Portland OR