SPARTANBURG, SC (WSPA) – Four states and the District of Columbia are testing out a pilot program that, if successful, could replace your driver’s license.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provided a $2 million grant to a cybersecurity company called Gemalto to design and test a digital license in a two-year pilot program.
The company has already done field trials in Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
The cellphone app shows your license, front and back, just like on your plastic version. But unlike the license in your wallet, the app has settings that allow you to limit what’s shown, depending on the situation.
Let’s say you’re buying alcohol, the clerk will only see your picture and that you are of age, nothing else. But if you’re pulled over while driving, your entire license will be available to the officer.
There are still some kinks the company is working out, like making sure the other information on your phone is protected, but employees with the NIST believe the change to go digital could be made within the next five years.