Georgia drivers may soon use digital driver’s licenses on their smartphones during traffic stops due to House Bill 296. The bill has received strong bipartisan support in the House and is now moving through the Senate.

It requires law enforcement to accept digital driver’s licenses shown on smartphones. The House of Representatives approved the bill, and it was advanced by a Senate committee. Senator John Albers, the committee chairman, called it a smart use of technology.

About 450,000 Georgians currently use digital driver’s licenses through Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. These digital IDs are only accepted by the TSA at airports, and the bill would extend their use to law enforcement during traffic stops, but not for age verification at bars or voting at polling places. This exclusion aims to address election security concerns. The main challenge is ensuring all law enforcement officers have smartphones that can validate digital licenses using near-field communication (NFC) technology. The bill requires agencies to provide this technology to officers by July 2027, although this deadline may change.

The bill also protects driver privacy, stating that officers cannot search a driver’s phone for other information. Drivers can still use a physical driver’s license if preferred.