Arizona is building on its mobile driver’s license program

It’s been more than three years since Arizona launched its mobile driver’s license project. Now, the state’s IT office is looking to use those licenses as credentials for the state’s online services. 

“We have millions of Arizonans already registered with the Arizona Mobile Driver’s License,” said J.R. Sloan, the state’s chief information officer. “I want to figure out how we leverage that and build upon that. Our goal is to really build an identity platform that can interact with some of the existing solutions that are in the market.”

Sloan said he also wants to ensure the state can use the federal’s identity service Login.gov and or vendors like ID.me.

“We [could] interact with those, accept those and then pass those credentials along to our application,” Sloan said. “That’s really the approach we’re trying to take.”

Sloan said he’s also on the lookout for how standards on mobile driver’s licenses and digital identities may change, and focusing on privacy’s role as governments move from identity verification to digital identity.

“We want to make sure we’re taking up the path that keeps the individual in the driver’s seat.” Sloan said. “I think we’ve got to keep moving forward.”