Wyoming’s Digital Driver’s License RolloutWyoming’s Digital Driver’s License Rollout Wyoming is in the process of developing a digital ID in the form of an optional mobile driver’s license (mDL). However, it will take at least a year before residents can access the mDLs on their smartphones. Background on the mDL Project Wyoming’s mDL initiative began as early as 2017 with a pilot project conducted by Gemalto (now Thales). During this pilot, digital ID checks were performed at the DMV, simulated traffic stops, and for air travel. In 2020, the state legislature authorized the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WyDOT) to proceed with mDL deployment. State of the mDL Project According to WyDOT, the state is currently working on upgrading its driver services system’s technology to support the implementation of the mDL. This upgrade is necessary to enable zero-knowledge proofs and limited disclosure. Privacy and Security Concerns Concerns have been raised about privacy and security related to the mDL. For instance, handing over a phone to an officer to view an mDL could potentially allow them to access the phone’s contents. To address this, officials suggest the use of QR codes or other protocols to read the mDL without physical phone handover. Other States’ mDL Efforts Wyoming is not the only state exploring mDLs. North Carolina has passed legislation to support this technology, while Florida has temporarily halted its mDL program pending the development of an updated app. Google launched a beta version of its mDL app in late 2022.
Wyoming is in the process of rolling out a digital ID in the form of an optional mobile driver’s license. However, it will be at least a year before the first copies are available on residents’ smartphones.
Work on Wyoming’s mDL dates back to at least 2017, when the state participated in a pilot with Gemalto (now Thales). The pilot included digital ID checks at the DMV and simulated traffic stops by the Wyoming Highway Patrol, as well as for air travel, according to a blog post from Thales.
In 2020, the state legislature authorized the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WyDOT) to begin using mDLs.
IDScan.net calculated at the time that if 20 to 30 percent of Wyoming residents opted to pay $10 for a digital license, the state would raise $640,000 per year.
A WyDOT representative tells Cowboy State Daily that the state needs to upgrade the technology behind its driver services system before moving to a digital driver’s license.
Once that happens, the system will support zero-knowledge proofs and limited disclosure, officials say.
For interactions with police, handing a phone to an officer to view an mDL doesn’t give them the right to search the phone’s contents. But a former state lawmaker told Cowboy State that the system should include something like a QR code that officers can scan to read the mDL without the driver having to hand over their phone.
The same effect could be achieved via communications protocols like Apple’s iBeacon, and NFC or RFID, but more work would be needed to standardize protocols. Google launched a beta version of its mDL app in late 2022, and Android support for Georgia’s mDL, which can be read using NFC or QR code scans, began late last year.
North Carolina recently passed a law to support the rollout of mDL, while Florida recently halted mDL pending the development of a new app with updated specifications.
Article Topics
digital ID | driver’s license | ID card | mDL | mobile app | Wyoming
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