L.A.-Area Lawmaker Pushes for Driver's Licenses via Smartphone

Lose your license? Leave it at home? One California legislator, supported by the state's lieutenant governor, thinks you should be able to access that license on your smartphone.

The legislation introduced on Wednesday in Sacramento by Assemblyman Matt Dababneh (D-Encino) would authorize California's Department of Motor Vehicles to create a mobile application for a secure way to present the state's most basic form of ID -- either a license or a state identification card -- through a phone.

AB221 follows on similar efforts in both Delaware and Iowa, and is written in a way that attempts to address concerns about security.

Its biggest champion, though, argues that the e-license would be much more secure than the one sitting in your wallet.

"Fundamentally, this is about offering the public a safer and more convenient option to meet a government requirement -- to carry a driver's license," said Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom in a written statement supporting AB221.  "And it's a principle and direction that government should strive towards universally."

The bill lays out a few of the details, though most legislation introduced at the state Capitol early in the year is a work in progress. Under AB221, individuals who wanted an electronic version of their California driver's license would have to request a secure PIN to be able to access the electronic version of their ID. The bill makes clear that anyone who wants to stick with just the plastic version of their license or identification card can do so.

"California has always been at the forefront of digital innovation, and last year passed legislation allowing individuals to access their automobile insurance on their smartphones," said Dababneh, the bill's author, in a written statement. "A digital driver’s license app is the logical next step."