Digital driver's license could be coming to Connecticut in the coming months
Connecticut could soon roll out a digital driver’s license option for residents, with the Department of Motor Vehicles hoping to launch the feature in the coming months.
The DMV said the mobile ID will be completely optional and is intended as a convenience rather than a replacement for a physical driver’s license or state ID.
“It’s an exciting feature,” said Tony Guerrera, commissioner of the Connecticut DMV said, adding that drivers should still carry a physical ID in case their phone dies or the digital version does not load properly.
The state first introduced the idea of digital licenses in 2021, but paused development after watching other states face challenges with implementation.
“We waited a little bit we wanted to make sure that whatever we did, when it came out, you can use it, use it right away, and not call you back and say this isn’t the right way,” Guerrera said.
DMV officials said they wanted to ensure the technology was secure and widely accepted before launching the program, again reiterating it is a convenience, not a mandatory switch.
“They can have it or they don’t have to have it,” Guerrera said.
The DMV said businesses and retailers should be able to accept digital ID, and officials have worked with the Transportation Security Administration to make sure it can be used at airports.
The agency is also working with Apple, Google, and Samsung to potentially allow IDs to be stored in virtual wallets, though those talks are ongoing.
Some residents said they are eager for the option as more people move away from carrying traditional wallets.
“Why not, I mean our whole lives are in our little computers that we carry in our back pocket so why not a license,” Angela Dileo, of Coventry said.
“I think the ability to leave my wallet with everything in it in the car or at home or at a hotel and just take my phone with everything in it, is very appealing,” Hannah Hayes, of South Windsor said.
Privacy advocates have raised concerns about businesses or government entities gaining easier access to identification information, as well as concerns about law enforcement accessing unlocked devices.
Currently, Connecticut police agencies still require physical identification during traffic stops and do not accept digital IDs in place of a physical license.
Still, some residents believe that could eventually change.
“I think once it’s just the thing everyone is used to, once it’s the normal thing I think the cops will accept it, it’s just a matter of time,” Dileo said.
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