Yes, it’s true: Iowa is testing a digital driver’s license that exists only on smartphones. The state that’s given us so much already — including pre-Obergefell marriage equality, Leslie Hall, and a crapton of corn — is also ushering us toward that glorious day when we’ll be able to wear our Bonobos without fear of unsightly wallet lines. (Sorry, chiropractors of the world.)
Mashable has the report:
The license appears on your smartphone, and looks much like a normal driver’s license, including a photo, date of birth, address and license expiration date. In a demonstration video, which uses an iPhone, a quick screen swipe flips the license to its back, revealing a bar code and the class of the license.
But the feature that really makes the [mobile driver’s license] special is that it allows the Department of Motor Vehicles to instantly update any information that may change, such as when a driver reaches the age of 21, or when a driver is hit with restrictions to their license.
Of course, many futurists believe that the smartphone is really just an intermediate device, a clunky stand-in until we figure out how to embed driver’s licenses, credit cards, and other info on chips that live on or near our bodies. (Reference point: season one, episode three of Blackmirror.) Which is fine by me, so long as I have the ability to play Tetris on my forearm.