New Jersey governor urges lawmakers to pass mobile driver’s license bills
In his State of the State address Tuesday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy called on lawmakers to pass a pair of bills that would compel the state’s motor vehicle commission to create a program allowing residents to use mobile driver’s licenses and identification cards.
If passed, S1297 and A3518 would place New Jersey among the approximately 25 states to have either implemented mobile driver’s licenses or to have begun developing a program.
“I am asking you all to send to my desk legislation — sponsored by Senator Pat Diegnan and Assemblywoman Annette Quijano — that will allow every New Jerseyan to obtain mobile driver’s licenses and IDs, accessible from their smartphone,” he said in remarks shared with StateScoop. “This is just common sense. Mobile driver’s licenses allow people to update personal information in real-time, like changing their address.”
A spokesperson from the governor’s office highlighted the many benefits expected of the completed program, including convenience; security features such as multifactor authentication, real-time authentication and the ability to withhold certain personal details while being carded; and compatibility with existing IT systems.
“mDLs can easily be integrated into other digital systems for tasks like age verification, registration, and even traffic law compliance,” an email from the spokesperson read.
In his address, which centered on economic security, job growth, education and opportunities for families, Murphy emphasized the convenience offered by mobile driver’s licenses.
“If you lose your physical license, you will still have a form of verifiable ID on you at all times,” he said. “Taking this step will make life easier for the people we serve.”
At least 15 states and Puerto Rico run mobile driver’s license programs, while another 10 states and Washington D.C. have announced plans to implement one.
As with most modern technologies, the vendors and particular techniques used vary — California last November announced it was working with the biometric identity firm AuthenticID after expanding its mobile driver’s license pilot program to include integration with Apple and Google wallets.
California’s mobile driver’s licenses are accepted a some airports, along with convenience and retails stores that agreed to participate in the pilot program.
In New Jersey, passage of the legislation would extend a recent push for friendlier digital services. New Jersey Chief Innovation Officer Dave Cole told StateScoop last year that his Office of Innovation is making tweaks — like simplifying verbiage on forms or replacing long URLs shared by call center employees with shorter ones — that streamlined processes and improved the experiences of residents who interacted with the state.
