The wallet-free future Apple promised with the iPhone 6 might finally be upon us in 2015, but only if you live in Iowa.
The state’s Department of Transportation says it will be the first state to ever allow citizens to use an official state app that will serve as a drivers license and ID. Iowa’s mobile app will reportedly contain all the same information found on the plastic license in your wallet, plus they’re adding a scannable bar code that links to DOT databases so all your info is up-to-date.
The logistics on how the digital ID app will work haven’t really been worked out yet, but state officials say the digital ID won’t be required. It will be an option for Iowans who want to supplement their physical ID cards.
Iowa already allows drivers to carry digital proof of insurance, so the official ID app will allow you to cruise the American Heartland paper free. Once the app is built and released in 2015, it will serve as an “identity vault” and use a PIN for security, but we really hope their developers integrate Touch ID.
There are concerns about what happens when you lose your iPhone, or if it gets stolen, but that shouldn’t be any worse than having banking apps on your stolen iPhone. However, state officials still aren’t sure how many people will want to use it, or if we’ll feel comfortable handing a cop our iPhone that contains precious personal data.
A public launch date for the app hasn’t been set yet. Beta testing with government employees is expected to begin in 2015, but officials admit it could be late next year or 2016 before your plastic license is truly dead.
Source: Des Moines Register
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
14 responses to “In 2015, a state-issued iPhone app could be your ticket to drive”
Awesome! Like to see tech being used in everyday scenarios when available. I wonder what/if they’ll set in some kind of counterfeit mechanism? I mean, cant someone technically create a “Fake ID” and use it instead?
Anyone can create a fake plastic ID too.
Not near as easy as a digital image.
that’s why the police etc would need some kind of scanner and display to scan the barcode and validate the ID
Yep. They have them. Some states have a barcode already.
not only that, you also get to hand over your unlocked phone to the cop, who then returns to his car to verify the id and write the ticket.
of course, he would never dream of poking around on your phone, seeing who you called or texted, or copy pictures off the phone for his personal pleasure.
Meh. Make it your lock screen wallpaper if you’re concerned.
Yes, so anybody can get your private information. Excellent suggestion.
Or are you suggesting doing this while the cop is waiting to be handed your phone?
For it to be reasonable, Apple would need to implement some kind of “unlock this page of the lock screen” for handing the phone to the cop. And hope that it really is true that they can’t extract the data from the phone via direct connection.
Hurry Arizona I want this.
becareful what you wish for. This is just another way for the Cops to ask you to open yu phone and hand it to them. Once they have your phone by u handing it to them you are pretty much consenting to them looking at items on ur phone. Just like is recent news where it is legal for a cop to tell u to unlock ur phone with ur finger print but illegal to ask you to type in the password.
I was thinking the same thing… unless you could find a way to make it act like your “Medical ID” / “Emergency” so you just press a couple buttons, shows your id, but doesn’t actually open up the phone.
Seems like this should be where Apple steps in and does an integration directly so that you can choose to show only your drivers license and insurance without fully unlocking your device similar to what’s happening with apple pay. To go along with the barcode scanning though, they must also be working to provide scanners to their officer to read the barcode so you don’t have to give up possession of your phone to the officer at any time, which makes more sense and would make people more likely to use it, imho.
as long as cops etc have hand scanners so you dont have to turn over your phone, this sounds okay.
cop: show me your license
dumbass: I’m filming you… you racist pig
cop: SHOW ME YOUR LICENSE!
dumbass: help help… i’m being harassed