Home Physical Security Access Control & Identification Utah Launches New Mobile Driver’s License Pilot

Utah Launches New Mobile Driver’s License Pilot

For mDL, Utah DLD has tapped GET Group North America and its technology partner Scytáles to provide GET Mobile ID, an ISO 18013-5-compliant application that puts an official driver’s license or ID Card on a citizen’s smartphone.

The Utah Driver License Division (DLD) has launched a new mobile driver license (mDL) pilot to provide driver’s licenses and ID cards on driver’s mobile phones.

The pilot will demonstrate an improvement in citizen privacy and security, while also highlighting the convenience and safety of tap and go transactions.

It will use a fully ISO 18013-5-compliant mobile app, following the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) mDL Implementation Guidelines.

The new mDLs are a secure, contactless digital form of ID that enables citizens to maintain control of their identity data, as the user can choose which personal information they share with businesses.

(See how Driver’s licenses are going digital in Utah, how they will work and how they’ll protect your privacy. Courtesy of FOX 13 News Utah and YouTube. Posted on Mar 30, 2021.)

The pilot is intended to build public acceptance of mDL in real-world scenarios such as banking, travel, traffic stops, and restaurant and liquor store transactions which require age verification.

Building an open ecosystem during the pilot where mDLs are accepted at many businesses will pave the way for making mDLs viable for all of Utah’s more than two million licensed drivers, allowing Utahns to leave their wallet at home soon.

Unlike other pilots, Utah will fully utilize the ISO 18013-5 standard for mDL, which provides the benefit of cryptographic proof of identity that prevents forgery and cannot be achieved by simply showing your phone screen to a clerk at a business.

Jess L. Anderson, Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner
Jess L. Anderson, Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner

“Our Driver License Division is committed to working with residents and stakeholders to implement a solution which provides the highest value to Utahns: one which is accepted anywhere and provides enhanced privacy, security and personal control,” explains Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Jess L. Anderson.

“Utahns’ privacy is of the utmost importance to us and the mDL gives them control over their data.v

“They choose what information to share when their identification is requested.”

Utah DLD has tapped GET Group North America and its technology partner Scytáles to provide GET Mobile ID for the Utah mDL, an ISO 18013-5-compliant application that puts an official driver’s license or ID Card onto a citizen’s smartphone.

The Contactless ID document can be verified with a tap or scan and is accepted worldwide using any ISO 18013-5-compliant reader, such as GET Mobile Verify.

Utah businesses can participate in the pilot to accept mDLs now and prepare for when mDL is available to all Utahns.

(Contrary to misconceptions, accepting mobile IDs doesn’t mean looking at your customers phone screen or handling their phone at all. Photo manipulation tools render visual usage untrustworthy, and you should never take on the liability of handling your customer’s phone. As identification increasingly goes digital, be prepared to quickly accept new Mobile IDs from anywhere in the world as legal forms of age-verification or identity. Speed up your identity verification processes and make it easier and more secure than ever for customers to buy from you. Courtesy of GET Group North America and YouTube.)

The GET/Scytáles mDL technology was the first to pass the formal conformity assessment testing, meant to ensure compliance to the stringent standards that allow for global acceptance.

“Utah DLD has incredible foresight and timing to lead the world with standardized mDLs. We are proud to support Utah DLD as they begin launching a full-scale mDL program,” said Alex Kambanis, President and Managing Director of GET Group North America.

Alex Kambanis, President & Managing Director GET Group North America
Alex Kambanis, President & Managing Director GET Group North America

“COVID has accelerated the importance of Contactless ID for both citizens and the businesses that accept ID.”

“Utah DLD is providing Utah residents a huge benefit with financial, security and health-related impacts.”

“Utahns will now lead the country in having the benefit of a completely secure, privacy-centered, standardized form of mobile ID,” added Geoff Slagle, President & Chief Business Development Officer at Scytáles, Inc.

“Our team looks forward to supporting Utah in its pioneering role in implementing the very first fully ISO-compliant mDL.”

The pilot will begin with approximately 100 select participants and expand to 10,000 participants including the broader public during 2021.

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