(KRON) — Drivers in the Golden State can now add their mobile digital driver’s license to their Google Wallet, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Friday. This makes California one of four states that offer a digital driver’s license in Google Wallet.
“It’s never been easier to keep a digital driver’s license and identification card in California,” said Gov. Newsom. “The state continues to work to offer convenience for those opting into the mobile driver’s license program, now with the option of using Google Wallet.”
In addition to being storable in Google Wallets, California mobile driver’s licenses will also soon be coming to Apple Wallet, Newsom announced last week. The California Department of Motor Vehicles rolled out a statewide digital identity framework in 2023 that introduced the California DMV Wallet mobile driver’s license (mDL) pilot program.
More than half a million Californians have since added the mDL to their smartphones, according to the governor’s office. The program is ongoing and currently limited to 1.5 million participants.
“We continue to expand the availability and acceptance of digital licenses and identification cards,” said DMV Director Steve Gordon. “Having an mDL in your smartphone wallet is a huge convenience for California.”
Currently, presenting your mDL in Google Wallet of California DMV Wallet app is considered valid identification at select retail locations and TSA airport checkpoints. According to the governor’s office, the DMV is working with public and private partners to encourage broader acceptance of the mDL.