SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Friday, August 23 the California Department of Motor Vehicles’ (DMV) addition of Google Wallet as an option to hold secure, convenient, and private digital driver’s licenses and identification cards.
“It’s never been easier to keep a digital driver’s license and identification card in California. The state continues to work to offer convenience for those opting into the mobile driver’s license program, now with the option of using Google Wallet,” Gov. Newsom said in a statement released by his office.
California is now one of four states to offer a digital driver’s license in Google Wallet. Last week, the governor announced mobile driver’s licenses would also be coming soon in Apple Wallet.
In 2023, as part of the statewide Digital Identity Framework, the DMV introduced the California DMV Wallet mobile driver’s license (mDL) pilot program. To date, more than half a million Californians have added the mDL to their smartphones.
“We continue to expand the availability and acceptance of digital licenses and identification cards,” said DMV Director Steve Gordon. “Having an mDL in your smartphone wallet is a huge convenience for Californians.”
The state’s mDL pilot program is ongoing and currently limited to 1.5 million participants.
Presenting your mDL in Google Wallet and the California DMV Wallet app is currently accepted as a valid form of identification at select retail locations and TSA airports. The DMV continues to work with public and private partners to encourage broader acceptance of the mDL.
“Google Wallet makes navigating day-to-day life easier by giving people convenient and secure access to everyday essentials like your payment cards, loyalty cards, concert tickets and more,” said Jenny Cheng, vice president and general manager of Google Wallet. “Our research shows that having a way to save an ID to Wallet is critical in order for people to feel like they have a complete digital wallet. By bringing this capability to Android users in California, we’re excited to provide yet another way for people to move seamlessly throughout their day.”
In the future, the mDL will work in partnership with California’s Digital ID Framework that securely and conveniently allows the state to verify people’s identity.
“We are grateful for the over half-million Californians who are participating in the mDL pilot,” said California State Chief Information Officer and Department of Technology Director Liana Bailey-Crimmins. “California continues to lead the way in leveraging and testing the latest technology so that Californians have easy and safe experiences with all of the state’s digital services.”
The mDL does not replace the requirement to carry a physical driver’s license while driving, but does give Californians another convenient option for identity verification and more control over how they share their information – offering the choice to display name and age information only when presenting for ID checks.
Pilot participants still must carry their physical card, though acceptance and uses of the mDL will continue to evolve.
(Gov. Newsom’s Office Release)
