Iowa poised to debut first-ever mobile drivers' licenses
While the launch date has yet to be determined, the effort is likely to be watched closely by a number of states.
Later this year, Iowans will get the chance to use their smartphones as mobile drivers’ licenses (mDL), according to govtech.com. Believed to be a first for any state, Iowa is in the early stages of deploying technology that will enable residents to display and control their personally identifiable information.
While the launch date has yet to be determined, the effort is likely to be watched closely by Delaware, which began an mDL pilot in March; additionally, Washington, D.C., Colorado, Idaho, Maryland and Wyoming also are piloting mDL technology from Gemalto, an international digital security company.
Related: Insured losses from May’s ‘Ring of Fire’ near $2.5 billion, says new report
Reimagining the driver’s license
The mDL available for Iowa residents will resemble their current driver’s license, but its headshot will have the ability to be rotated left or right as a unique security feature. It will also contain private viewing capabilities, enabling license holders to screen such vital information as age or address.
Other imagined applications include using the mDL when registering to vote or filing state income tax returns, which could help speed up the secure processing.
Iowa officials are confident this is what the public wants. This spring, the state signed contracts with a number of firms, including IBM for hosting and service support, and expects to spend $3.5 million to make mDL a reality.
Related: 9 consumer-friendly auto insurance innovations
mDL’s expected challenges
The security challenge for agencies and technology providers is how to safeguard a document that acts as a physical driver’s license but will be capable of doing much more, especially regarding the management of personal information.
Another key hurdle is, while motor vehicle agencies are beginning to contemplate an eventual move to mDLs, states are in different stages of adoption. Public agencies and potential mDL users possess widely varying degrees of technology, making the roll-out of mDLs problematic.
“There are a lot of promising opportunities around mobile drivers’ licenses,” Arjan Geluk, principal advisor for UL Identity Management and Security, said of the new technology. “I think what is important is, if you go, keep it simple at the start.”
Related: Emerging tech fuels insurance consumers’ on-demand expectations