1.5M in Louisiana carry an mDL

A day before the U.S. state of Louisiana further formalized acceptance rules for its four-year-old digital ID, the software firm that created the app said there were 1.5 million people using it.

The total number of digital IDs, including driver’s licenses, health cards and fishing licenses in the state is 2.5 million, according to Envoc. They are part of the LA Wallet, which the firm created for the state.

The legislation, signed by the governor October 28, clarifies the program and states exceptions to who must consider the app as real as a physical document.

First, no one asking to see a digital ID, including a traffic officer, can look past the document to any other information on a phone. They cannot even delay in returning it once they have confirmed the information they need.

Citizens must download information, photographs and the digitized ID itself through a state-approved document only. A digital photo taken with a phone is not a legal document. People visiting the state are exempted.

Also exempted are licensed gambling businesses, owners of which are sensitive to electronic and recording devices near active gambling. Owners can make their own decision, however.

Notary publics can accept digital IDs, but they are not required to. The same is true for used vehicle dealers.

Colorado was up to 135,000 mDLs issued as of last May, when New South Wales, Australia, reached 3 million. Greece was up to 563,000 this August.

There is a longer list of countries other than the United States moving to mobile driver’s licenses.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital ID  |  digital wallets  |  driver's license  |  Envoc  |  identity document  |  Louisiana  |  mDL (mobile driver's license)  |  mobile app