DOVER, Del.- Soon you may be reaching for your phone, rather than a wallet, when someone asks for your driver's license.
Delaware is currently running a six-month pilot program for mobile driver's licenses, which would be available on smartphones. Participants are being asked to attempt to use their phones in lieu of a physical license to see where the devices are being accepted and how well the system works.
"It's similar to what's in your pocket with so many more layers of security that don't exist with a physical card today," said Delaware DMV Director Scott Vien, who noted the smartphone app protects the digital driver's license with a pin number or facial recognition.
The devices would also allow law enforcement to ping a driver's phone during a traffic stop and request to see a mobile license before approaching a vehicle.
Vien said information on the MDL software would be secure and would not contain any other content other than what was already seen on a physical driver's license. He said the app would use various other technology to prove authenticity, like a golden star that shimmers onto the screen.
"It's just a way for showing the end user that this isn't a picture of a license I took," he said. "This is an actual app.
