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Proposal Calls For Digital Driver's Licenses For Californians

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – A state lawmaker has proposed legislation that would pave the way for Californians to get digital driver's licenses.

Assemblyman Miguel Santiago (D-Downtown Los Angeles) introduced a bill back in February, that if approved, would allow Californians to use digital driver's licenses and digital identification cards.

Driver's license
Madison Koehn, a receptionist at Catalyst Cannabis, scans the back of a drivers license to verify the age of the customer in Santa Ana on Monday, April 5, 2021. A new study found California's licensed cannabis shops are doing a good job of preventing minors from getting in. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

Under Assembly Bill 1503, everyone would receive both a physical ID, and, if they so choose, a digital ID. People would opt into the digital identification program using an app.

Santiago's bill would create a pilot project that gives the DMV until January of 2028 to put together a working program.

The state of Iowa has already launched a similar program.

"When you really take a look at it, you do everything on your cell phone, and you can do stock transactions, you have credit card information, I have my insurance paperwork on my cell phone, I have everything, except the one thing that I need the most, which is my driver's license and my ID," Santiago told CBSLA.

On Monday the bill unanimously passed through the Assembly Transportation Committee. It now goes to the Assembly Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection.

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