Mobile driver's licenses, ID's could come to Illinois under new proposal

A bill introduced earlier this year by Illinois State Rep. Kam Buckner to allow for electronic driver’s licenses and identification cards has gained the backing of Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias.

According to remarks made to The Pentagraph, Giannoulias said the identification cards could be an important piece of the modernization of his office.

“This is the future,” he told the paper. “It’s all part of the modernization of the office.”

Buckner introduced the legislation in late January.

Under provisions of the bill, all Illinois residents who are eligible to receive a driver’s license or an identification card will be eligible to obtain those documents in an electronic format, and would be able to use them in any situation calling for identification.

At least 10 states already offer mobile driver’s licenses, including Iowa and Missouri, according to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. Indiana has passed legislation to allow for the electronic identification, but has not yet implemented the program, according to the AAMVA.

Some groups, including the ACLU, have expressed concern about the use of mobile identification documents, citing fears that law enforcement could search a person’s phone without proper consent after viewing the documentation.

Under terms of Illinois' HB 4592, “the display of a mobile ID card and driver’s license shall not serve as consent or authorization for a law enforcement officer, or any other person, to search, view or access any other data or application on the mobile device.”

The TSA does accept mobile identification at airports, but officials urge fliers to carry physical identification as well. All licenses and ID cards that are REAL-ID compliant are eligible to be issued as mobile documentation, but physical copies of cards should still be carried for use in those situations as implementation of key programs continues.