Having a plastic card as a driver’s license may be a thing of the past.
Iowa is currently investigating a new app that would replace the plastic card in your wallet. It would only be accessible via a personal identification number, though further security in the form of fingerprint recognition may be added later. A barcode, much like the one on the back side of current licenses, would allow the app to be scanned by businesses or police, so that you don’t have to hand over your phone.
“We are really moving forward on this,” said DOT Director Paul Trombino. “The way things are going, we may be the first in the nation.”
Iowa will begin testing the new app in 2015, although there is no official plans for rollout as of yet. The State currently allows drivers to show the authorities digital copies of their registration and insurance, and many see the digital license as an extension of that service. If the new digital licenses do come to fruition, the program would be optional, so individuals can choose to hold onto their plastic licenses if they want to.
[Source: Des Moines Register]