Santa Cruz County, California, launches blockchain wallet for RV permits

Officials in Santa Cruz County, California, this week announced a new digital wallet and mobile app — powered by blockchain technology — that allows residents to apply for recreational vehicle permits.

The app is housed in a mobile application available on Android and Apple app stores called MySCCounty+. The company behind the app, called Humbl, claims it’s the first digital wallet to be launched by a municipal government in California.

While the app only currently allows applications and digital delivery of RV permits, the county intends to expand on additional use cases that can benefit from distributed ledger technology and verifiable credentials, a news release said.

Along with the wallet, powered by Humbl’s digital platform, the new app integrates a number of Santa Cruz County’s old services, such as benefit applications, graffiti reporting, emergency alerts, voter registration and property tax payments.

The new app and digital wallet build on legislation California lawmakers passed last year that allows county governments to issue vital records for birth, marriage and death certificates via verifiable credentials, which can be held in digital wallets and secured by blockchain technology.

“The value of digitizing paper documents, records, and services is an important step forward for the convenience of Santa Cruz County residents,” Santa Cruz County Supervisor Zach Friend said in a news release. “We are proud to have pioneered this innovation here in California to drive improved equity, access and inclusion for Santa Cruz residents through digital technology.”