State looking to launch mobile driver’s license INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles is preparing to launch digital driver’s licenses, Indiana’s I-Team has learned. A mobile driver’s license is a digital version of a physical license, learner’s permit or iden tification card. The license lives on a smartphone, typically in a mobile wallet or through an app. While the agency has not released a specific timeline, officials say they are getting closer to the launch. Potential uses include: Age verification for alcohol and tobacco retailers. Identity verification for banking. Identity verification during traffic stops. Indiana’s I-Team found at least 21 states already use mobile driver’s licenses, including neighboring Kentucky, Illinois and Ohio. Lily King said she likes the idea of a digital license. “I approve of it,” King said. King spent the morning at a BMV branch on Crawfordsville Road after losing her license. She said having a digital version would have saved her time and money. She is not the only driver looking for a technology upgrade. “Sometimes you forget your ID, credit card, but your phone, it’s everything,” Nery Louis said. “Me personally, I would be happy. I would be using it every day.” Groups including the American Civili Liberties Union have raised concerns about privacy, tracking, and security. “The ACLU of Indiana has serious concerns about digital driver’s licenses, particularly around privacy, tracking, and the ability for the government to revoke someone’s access to their ID,” ACLU of Indiana advocacy manager Danielle Drake said. Drake said any system needs strong privacy safeguards and should remain voluntary, keeping a physical ID option available at all times. Drivers also expressed concern about cybersecurity. “With all this new technology going on, they could easily download somebody else’s face or pretend to be them,” Sean Risner said. “I feel like it would create those sorts of problems for fraud identification.” The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles said it is following best practices for digital security. A 2023 law, House Enrolled Act 1050, requires the agency to follow international standards to maintain data security for any Hoosier who has a mobile license. “The BMV wants to ensure we create a system that is secure, reliable, and complies with Indiana law,” agency spokesperson Greg Dunn said in an email to the I-Team. Dunn said mobile licenses require careful planning to address how the program affects the community and to meet the needs of those verifying identities. He added that digital licenses are part of the vision for Indiana’s future. Dunn said once the program is closer to launch, Hoosiers will receive updates on how to access the new features. The BMV has no plans to phase out physical driver’s licenses. The agency will present its proposal to lawmakers Wednesday. The Interim Study Committee on Roads and Transportation meeting will begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday. ...read more read less