Driver's Licenses Could Soon be Replaced by Cell Phone Apps

Your driver's license could be replaced by a cellphone app.A cybersecurity company designed and is testing a digital license in a two-year pilot program in four states and the District of Columbia. The company has already conducted field trials in Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, Maryland and Washington, D.C. The cellphone app does show your license, front and back, just as it looks on your plastic version. But the app has settings that allow you to limit what's shown, depending on the situation. For example, when buying alcohol "you only see their picture and it says that they are of age.” Nothing else on your ID is seen by the store clerk. You access the app separately from the other information in your phone, which is protected by a pin or fingerprint. It works a bit like a digital ticket to a movie or concert. You open the app and hold your phone close to a device that scans or reads the information. Not everyone is thrilled with the idea because of privacy concerns. There is still a year to go in the pilot program. One of the people involved with the program believes most Americans will have the choice of using a digital driver's license, or sticking with the old hard copy, within the next five years.