Digital IDs Coming Soon to a State Near you
Tuesday, May 24, 2022
By David Gaudet
Advances in smartphone technology continue to alter traditional ways of life. From our phones, we make retail purchases, cue our home thermostats and prioritize our days. Adding to surmounting smartphone capabilities, nearly a quarter of all 50 states now allow digital proof of identity, age and address, wherever physical driver licenses and other state-issued IDs are required.
Louisiana stakes its claim as the first state to develop and deploy digital state-issued drivers’ licenses with the launch of LA Wallet in 2018.1 Colorado followed suite in 2019 with the introduction its state-authorized myColorado app.2 Today, at least 12 states and one U.S. territory are actively working with Apple to seamlessly and securely add Transportation Security Administration (TSA)-approved digital drivers’ licenses and state-issued IDs to iPhone and Apple Watch Wallets.3,4
Of added interest, Utah’s Driver License Division, in partnership with GET Group North America, is piloting a program where mobile drivers’ licenses (mDLs) are valid proof of age-verification at select Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control (DABC) locations. Residents who use mDLs will have full-control over what personal data from their ID is shared when completing a transaction at a liquor store. After initial release, the plan will extend to include stores selling alcohol state-wide.5
So, while there’s significant nationwide movement around digital IDs, it’s safe to say widespread adoption is years away. If digital IDs are permitted within your state and deemed as a viable form of age-verification for alcohol and/or tobacco purchases, ensure employees at your store and restaurant are well-versed on all related protocols for lawful selling practices. The BARS Program can help. Contact us 1-877-540-5500. One of our first orders of business will be to discuss whether or not your establishment IDs under 35. Learn more about BARS by visiting https://www.barsprogram.com.
Sources
1MyWallet
2myColorado; Frequently Asked Questions
3Apple Newsroom, 09/1.2021; Apple announces first states signed up to adopt driver’s licenses and state IDs in Apple Wallet
4Apple Newsroom, 03/23/2022; Apple launches the first driver’s license and state ID in Wallet with Arizona
5Biometricupdate.com, 11/03/2021; Mississippi plans digital ID, Utah’s GET Group mDLs accepted for booze
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