Are digital driver’s licenses accepted in any place?

The United States took the first step in the implementation of digital driver's licenses, a resource that in the digital age sounds like the most logical and comfortable for drivers. Digital licenses are a solution that most states in the country are incorporating. The first being Louisiana in July 2018, and other states have also been working on adapting this process.

The digital driver's license (DDL) was incorporated into the Android and iOS operating systems for smartphones. This digital resource is known as Wallet and can be downloaded at a cost of only $ 5.99. The digital license is accepted by the police, commerce and other places just like the physical card.

What is the digital driver's license?

The DDL is nothing more than a supplement to the current physical card, only that it remains stored in the smartphone and has the same functionality as the physical driver card. In fact, it turns out to be a much more convenient and practical resource for drivers and authorities when it comes to verifying compliance with this indispensable requirement for driving in the United States and in any other country. As well as credit cards, car keys and cash, digital driver's licenses are also evolving and being incorporated into the smartphone.

Smartphones will in the immediate future be the tools of work and operations for almost all the activities and practical actions in our daily lives. Buy, sell, pay, play, have fun, interact, seek help, and more. With everything is being accessible on a smartphones how could the driver's license be the exception?

What states have implemented the DDL?

The trend in the U.S. To move towards DDL and soon the world is seen coming on the technological horizon. Its acceptance in airports, shops, restaurants and other places, continues to expand by leaps and bounds every day.

In addition to Louisiana, other states such as Delaware, Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho and Maryland along with the District of Columbia in Washington have already implemented pilot programs for the use of digital driver's licenses. These programs have started with state officials, whose licenses have been added to their smartphones through a mobile application.

States such as Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, California, Illinois, New Jersey, Tennessee and Utah have also stated that they are planning to introduce digital driver's licenses.

The digital versions of the licenses in the states where the pilot tests are being held are accepted in stores that apply age restrictions. Also when the police request an identification document or when taking a flight at the airport. Similarly, since April 2018, electronic copies of insurance cards are already being accepted in 47 states, as reported by Allstate.

How do you get a digital driver's license?

If your state has already implemented the DDL, the enrollment process is very simple and fast. Whether you apply for a new driver's license or are looking for a renewal, you must select the DDL option. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) of the respective state will explain the process to link the mobile phone with your profile.

The user downloads the required application on his smartphone and after following the steps indicated, he can download his DDL and keep it stored on his device in a secure way. After the DDL is downloaded, only the user can access it, since the application can only be opened through a PIN or fingerprint.

Practical uses of DDL

In addition to fulfilling its primary function as a valid document for driving vehicles, the digital driver's license can be used as a personal identification document when required by the police or any other authority. Of course, its validity and implementation depends on each state and each agency, according to state and local laws.

It also serves to identify at the time of making purchases in commerce, at airports, in the subway, in a bar or nightclub and in any other place as a valid identification document.

Precautions with digital licenses

As with all applications of digital technology, also with DDL should be very careful.

Although they have a PIN and password to prevent the use of the digital license from being violated, nothing guarantees that this technology cannot fail, as warned by cybersecurity experts, especially if it is hosted on a smartphone.

In the digital age, nobody, from government agencies to banks and other companies, is exempt from hackers. This is one of its main risks, but otherwise it is a practical, useful, necessary and very low-cost resource that combines compliance with the traffic law with the identification document as legal as a real or physical card.

Another risk of DDL is that the driver runs out of battery in his mobile at the time he needs to show his license to an authority or that the phone screen is broken. But it is not a fault that we cannot solve, if we have a good phone charger in the vehicle to always keep the cell phone battery charged and we have a good screen protector and a lining.

The worst thing that could happen to us would be if we lost the phone, but it will always be possible to access the DDL from a laptop or any other mobile device that contains the application.

In other countries such as New South Wales in Australia, digital technology is being adopted for driver's licenses but with an even more innovative method: the Blockchain.

This system allows you to store a variety of confidential information, such as personal data, identification documents and even a driver's license. The system was already successfully tested last year in the city of Dubbo state last year.

Remember that if you need to obtain an international license or a digital license, at IDL