Senate committee hears bill to authorize optional mobile driver's licenses; DMV and director say system can be secure

Senators heard testimony on Senate Bill 70, which would permit the state to issue optional mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs) that citizens could load onto secure smartphone wallets in addition to holding a physical card.

Sponsor Senator Tim Lang described the bill as a modernization step and emphasized it would be optional, not mandatory. He said mDLs can streamline everyday transactions—such as age verification in retail, banking and travel—and that other states have adopted similar programs.

John Marasco, director of the Division of Motor Vehicles, said the DMV supports the bill. Marasco described cryptographic protections used by mobile ID platforms and said the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) and several states are using secure digital trust services. He said early-adopter states have issued hundreds of thousands of mobile IDs and that the technology allows offline storage on devices and remote deactivation if a phone is lost.

Committee members raised privacy and law-enforcement questions. Some senators asked whether roadside officers would have compatible scanning equipment; Marasco said the statute contemplates an incremental rollout and that some jurisdictions equip officers to scan mDLs while others rely on the physical card when required.

Concerns about identity theft were raised, and the sponsor stressed the option would be voluntary for citizens who prefer the technology; those who do not want an mDL may retain a physical license. No committee vote was recorded during the hearing.