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Senate panel backs bill letting officers verify digital driver's licenses with tap technology
Summary
House Bill 296 cleared the Senate Public Safety Committee after sponsors said the measure would let Georgians present a digital driver’s license to law enforcement; the committee approved the bill unanimously and lawmakers discussed implementation and exclusions for voting.
The Georgia Senate Public Safety Committee voted unanimously to recommend passage of House Bill 296, which would allow Georgians to present a digital driver’s license to law enforcement and authorize verification tools such as tap-to-phone technology.
Representative Houston Gaines, the bill’s sponsor, told the committee that roughly 450,000 Georgians already have a digital driver’s license and that the bill would permit officers to accept a mobile credential when conducting a traffic stop. Gaines said the bill includes a two-year window intended to give law enforcement agencies time to adopt verification technology.
“This is great technology,” Gaines said. “Any officer with an iPhone can now just scan a driver’s license and verify that information,” adding that the bill is designed to avoid requiring officers to take a citizen’s phone back to the patrol vehicle.
Committee members asked whether the digital credential would replace paper licenses; Gaines said it would not prevent people from carrying a physical license and encouraged Georgians to keep both during the rollout. Senators also asked about Android compatibility and whether officers would need department-issued phones to use the verification tap; Gaines said the technology works on both iPhone and Android platforms and that many agencies already provide department-issued devices.
Senator Mike Williams asked whether the digital credential would be used to obtain a ballot at the polls. Representative Gaines said the bill does not apply to voting and that poll workers and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) were not ready to use digital credentials for ballot issuance; the bill explicitly excludes that use as discussed in committee.
Senator Goodman moved a motion for a do-pass recommendation; Senator Wicks seconded. The committee approved the motion by voice vote and the chair said the motion passed unanimously. No roll-call vote is recorded in the transcript.
Committee discussion emphasized outreach to sheriffs’ and chiefs’ associations to ensure law enforcement readiness and noted the two-year period in the bill would be extendable if agencies need more time. Sponsor Gaines said meetings with major platform providers support the timeline but that the legislature could delay the effective date if necessary.
