mDLs officially come to Google Wallet in California

California is now one of four U.S. states to offer a mobile driver’s license (mDL) in Google Wallet. Governor Gavin Newsom has followed through on a recent promise that state mDLs would soon be available in digital wallets from tech industry cornerstones Apple and Google as part of the state’s ongoing mDL pilot project. As of Friday, August 23, Google Wallet is a live option to store digital driver’s licenses and ID cards for users running Android 9.0 or later.

“It’s never been easier to keep a digital driver’s license and identification card in California,” says a statement from Newsom. “The state continues to work to offer convenience for those opting into the mobile driver’s license program, now with the option of using Google Wallet.”

Last week, Newsom indicated that compatibility with Apple Wallet would soon follow. The long term plan is for the mDL to be interoperable with California’s Digital ID Framework for secure identity verification.

Over half a million California already have an mDL stored in the California Department of Motor Vehicles’ DMV Wallet app, which is built by Spruce ID and integrates face biometrics and liveness detection from iProov to bind individuals to physical ID documents. The state has capped the pilot project stage at 1.5 million mDLs.

DMV Director Steve Gordon says “having an mDL in your smartphone wallet is a huge convenience for Californians.” The DMV continues to work with public and private partners to broaden acceptance across industries. Fow now, select retail locations and TSA airports now accept mDLs for identity verification, age assurance and other uses. Some apps, such as those for car rental services, also accept the digital driver’s license in Google Wallet.

Jenny Cheng, vice president and general manager of Google Wallet, says “research shows that having a way to save an ID to Google Wallet is critical in order for people to feel like they have a complete digital wallet.” Enabling digital driver’s licenses and other digital credentials gives people another way to “move seamlessly throughout their day.” Beyond ID cards, there are digital applications for payments, ticketing, customer loyalty, and any other scenario typically tied to physical cards, tickets or tokens.

Drivers participating in the California mDL project are still required to carry their physical driver’s license for now. But the digital license gives the option of providing minimal necessary data.

State Chief Information Officer and Department of Technology Director Liana Bailey-Crimmins says the state remains committed to leading the way in leveraging and testing digital identity technologies for the benefit of Californians. The state DMV is hosting a pair of hackathons, in October and November 2024, to give developers a chance to build digital identity into their applications.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  California  |  digital ID  |  digital wallets  |  Google Wallet  |  identity document  |  identity verification  |  mDL (mobile driver's license)  |  TSA