California Expands Mobile Driver's License Pilot to 60% of Drivers

California has significantly expanded the cap for its mobile driver’s license (mDL) pilot program to 60%. Under the bill signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, the previous participation limit of 15% has been substantially increased. The California DMV announced that over 3.5 million people have applied for a mobile driver’s license since the service began in 2023. With this expansion, the number of eligible users will increase from approximately 4.2 million to a maximum of 16.8 million.

Users can obtain a mobile driver’s license by scanning their physical license and completing facial verification via the CA DMV Wallet app. The completed digital ID can be stored and used across various platforms, including Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, and Samsung Wallet.

The bill also includes provisions to expand DMV electronic notifications, strengthening the digital transformation of administrative services alongside the expansion of mobile driver's licenses. However, as not all agencies recognize digital IDs yet, drivers must continue to carry their physical licenses while driving; currently, digital IDs are accepted only at specific locations, such as TSA security checkpoints at certain airports.