New Jersey residents will soon be able to access a digital driver's license or state ID.
Gov. Phil Murphy (D) signed a bill into law Wednesday calling for the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to create virtual identification cards that can be accessed on a phone, tablet or other devices. Officials say mobile driver's licenses help prevent instances of people forgetting or losing their ID.
The ID cards would allow residents to immediately update their records, including a change of address.
“Digital driver's licenses will make life easier for drivers across New Jersey,” Murphy said in a statement. “Innovation has always been at the core of who we are as a state, and my administration has embraced that spirit to deliver practical solutions that improve everyday life for our people. By bringing government services into the digital age, we’re setting a new standard for how the public interacts with state agencies.”
The bill includes protections for users, including restrictions on the collection, retention and sharing of data. Any remote access to the license from the state requires consent from the card owner. There will also be additional security measures in place to prevent tampering or duplication.
During a traffic stop, a driver would need to show their registration and either a printed license or their digital ID on a mobile device. A photo or screenshot of the ID card won't be accepted; it needs to be in a digital wallet.
The bill also states that people don't have to surrender their devices to verify identity, even to law enforcement, and that handing over a device does not mean that they consent to a search. Information seen on a phone or tablet, such as an incriminating message, can't be used as probable cause for a search warrant.
Digital forms of ID are currently available in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia. Another nine states and Washington, D.C., have proposed legislation. The Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations Act, signed by President Donald Trump in March, allocated $1.5 million for mobile driver's license implementation.
The digital driver's license movement has not come without criticism. A 2021 report from the American Civil Liberties Union brought up concerns of tracking activity and collecting personal data, as well as excluding adults without access to technology.
"Once it becomes easy to share your ID with the press of a button, the danger is that we start getting identity demands from all quarters. Want to enter a 7-Eleven? Scan your ID. Want to browse a clothing store, buy a cup of coffee, park your car? Scan your ID. Want to watch a video, or log on to social media, or look at a news site? 'Click here to send us your digital ID,'" a legislative recommendation paper issued by the organization in 2024 reads.
Among other precautions, the group recommended maintaining the right to a non-digital form of identification and refraining from creating a "government kill switch" that can shut off access to digital IDs without warning.
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