Drivers Licenses are Going Digital in Louisiana

[AlphaAtlas]

Finland announced plans for a digital drivers license this year, and several U.S. States are running similar pilot programs of their own. So far, digital drivers license systems have been fairly limited, but a report by IEEE Spectrum claims that could change in Louisiana soon. According to the report, the developers of the app LA Wallet claim that "bars, restaurants, grocery stores and other retailers" will be allowed to accept digital IDs as proof of age next week. The founder of the app company claims about 71,000 people have downloaded the app, but so far, only police offers are required to accept it as a form of ID, limiting its usage. Spectrum points out that it would be possible to steal someones digital identity in the same way that credit card info is stolen, but there are major security benefits to the system too, and Louisiana has no plans to make plastic IDs obsolete yet.

There's also a handy security feature that allows anyone with the LA Wallet app to authenticate another person's Louisiana digital driver's license. In our Bourbon Street bar scenario, the bartender and the young woman would use the app's "VerifyYou" feature. It allows the bar patron to select which information she would like to reveal to the bartender-in this case, simply the fact that she is over 21. That information is displayed on the phone with a photo and embedded QR code. The bartender scans the code with her app, which tells her that the woman seated on the other side of the bar is indeed over 21. None of the customer's personal information, such as her name, birth date, or address, is displayed or stored on the bartender's phone. Together, the VerifyYou feature and the security seal make the digital driver's license hard to fake. That's because the cryptography is time-based and can only be used once.

 

[Deleted member 109755]

Phones are becoming the little crystals in Logan's run.

 

[BlakLanner]

Right, because the first thing I really want to do if stopped by a cop is show/hand them my phone. I think I will pass on this one.

 

[Darunion]

Can you show a cop your id on your phone without interrupting the video recording?

 

[vegeta535]

So yea handing over your phone to a cop is going to equal you consent to search through the th rest of the phone. They find something suspicious on you phone and have cause to search your car. No thanks.

 

[BloodyIron]

I think this is a kinda good idea to streamline the costs of licensing, without thinking about the consequences. Good effort, but won't pan out well in areas.

 

[Nolan7689]

So underage drinking is about to skyrocket in Louisiana? Just call me doubtful of the hard to fake claims.

 

[viivo]

Louisiana: last in literacy, but first in technology that allows you to buy beer faster.

 

[sirmonkey1985]

So yea handing over your phone to a cop is going to equal you consent to search through the th rest of the phone. They find something suspicious on you phone and have cause to search your car. No thanks.

You shouldn't need to, they should be able to use the qr code to get all your information.. either way I hope it becomes a thing, I move around a lot within the same city and I hate paying for new license every time I move.

 

[Darunion]

You shouldn't need to, they should be able to use the qr code to get all your information.. either way I hope it becomes a thing, I move around a lot within the same city and I hate paying for new license every time I move.

In app purchase to update address most likely. They will find some way to make more money off this.

 

[NickJames]

If it used NFC to transmit the information digitally to a cop or cashier then I would be ok with this but I am not physically handing my phone over.

 

[TordanGow]

Like I'd hand a cop my unlocked phone. You'd have to be stone stupid to do this, even if you've done nothing wrong.

 

[katanaD]

sounds like a young people issues..

I haven't been carded in years

 

[BoiseTech]

If it used NFC to transmit the information digitally to a cop or cashier then I would be ok with this but I am not physically handing my phone over.

Look at the picture in the article. It looks like it generates a QR type code with your picture on it. I Assume they use a "enforcement" version of the app to scan your QR code and it pulls your digital ID from the hosted site. You show them, they scan, no "handing" involved.

This would be incredibly difficult to fake, too. If your QR code doesn't exist in the database, they'd get an error message, and you'd be caught.

All ID's are already stored in a database, this would just make that data accessible in the field.

 

[BoiseTech]

sounds like a young people issues..

I haven't been carded in years

I haven't been pulled over since I got married, I dont know why I even bother renewing my DL!

 

[SixFootDuo]

Phones are becoming the little crystals in Logan's run.

They are supposed to be remaking this movie. When I was a kid, I loved it.

 

[steakman1971]

Phones are becoming the little crystals in Logan's run.

Mine started flashing a while ago...

 

[Grimlaking]

I need a nap.. is there somewhere on my Digital ID I can put a QR code for nap time?

 

[Furious_Styles]

No, just no.

 

[toast0]

This would be incredibly difficult to fake, too. If your QR code doesn't exist in the database, they'd get an error message, and you'd be caught.

Difficult to fake perhaps, but not that difficult to generate the code in one place and display it in another. Someone else's 21+ id as a service, coming up.

 

[Daarken]

I renewed my DL in a Louisiana DMV a few days ago.
There was a sign with information about the app, and there is a one time $6 fee to use it.
Updating your address is easy and free with the app.
I suspect that the app fee is a charge on top of the DL Fee.
With that said, I wouldn't use or touch it with a 10 foot pole.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

I for one look forward to this change in Finland (goes live 1.2.2019 afaik), driver's license was the only thing I had to carry with me besides my phone in daily life, now I won't need anything else than the phone.

 

[Grimlaking]

I for one look forward to this change in Finland (goes live 1.2.2019 afaik), driver's license was the only thing I had to carry me with my phone, now I won't need anything else than the phone.

and now especially in the US once this is ubiquitous the prices of phone services and phones will start ramping up even FASTER.

 

[Nolan7689]

I for one look forward to this change in Finland (goes live 1.2.2019 afaik), driver's license was the only thing I had to carry with me besides my phone in daily life, now I won't need anything else than the phone.

You don't like...carry a wallet with money? Wow socialism really does work for you guys

 

[Dekoth-E-]

I'm not ok with this on any level.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

You don't like...carry a wallet with money? Wow socialism really does work for you guys

I gave up on carrying paper bills/change many years ago. Mostly did NFC/card payments for a while and since Google Pay launched here as it uses NFC I've only used that which works also everywhere (convenient to just activate screen for below 25€ payments and above 25€ I first need to unlock it with fingerprint sensor or pin/pattern). Trading hardware in local forum I usually suggest an app that lets you do in real-time wire transfers irrelevant of banks directly from a bank account to a person's phone number linked to the app. Been using a 3 card slot wallet until now and by 1.2.2019 I won't even need that by the looks of it. When I used a more traditional wallet I hated how it would always get stuck in the keychain in the pocket taking so much space or just overall tightness of the often way too small front pockets of today's jeans.

 

[Nobu]

So yea handing over your phone to a cop is going to equal you consent to search through the th rest of the phone. They find something suspicious on you phone and have cause to search your car. No thanks.

Just keep a second phone with the app connected to your main phone's wifi tethering in your car. You can get a cheap phone for this at walmart, cvs, etc.

 

[sfsuphysics]

Ultra liberals doing stupid things again in Calif... wait not California?

 

[kumquat]

I've had this app for about 6 months. Used it for buying alcohol, picking up controlled substances, etc. Haven't had to use it with law enforcement yet but it's worked everywhere. Pretty cool.

The app has an image of the front and back of your license, complete with the complex barcode. It also has some sort of built in auto-QR made from your license portrait and a way to use the app on another phone to verify its authenticity.

 

[TeeJayHoward]

You don't like...carry a wallet with money? Wow socialism really does work for you guys

Hell, I'm the US and haven't carried cash for over a decade. Right now I've got two cards sitting in my cell phone case - a driver's license and a credit card.

I wonder if this (or a similar law) would allow us to set our lock screen background image to something they can scan. Wouldn't that work just as well as an app without the associated security/privacy concerns?

 

[Nenu]

This race to simplify and cheapen secure public amenities is sure to backfire.
How is a cop to trust what is on a digital display, he has no control over, is genuine?

Why not simply give police digital access to the driving license database so they can confirm validity to drive without even seeing a license from the driver.

 

[kirbyrj]

Why not simply give police digital access to the driving license database so they can confirm validity to drive without even seeing a license from the driver.

I'm pretty sure they already do in most cases. That being said, it's not like people don't try to lie about who they are to avoid warrants, arrest, etc.

 

[Nenu]

I'm pretty sure they already do in most cases. That being said, it's not like people don't try to lie about who they are to avoid warrants, arrest, etc.

I cant see the point in allowing digital licenses if they already have direct access to the license database.
Its a convenience thing. It must be a difficult process for police to confirm a licenses validity in this state.
Otherwise, why take such a risk?

 

[kirbyrj]

I cant see the point in allowing digital licenses if they already have direct access to the license database.
Its a convenience thing. It must be a difficult process for police to confirm a licenses validity in this state.
Otherwise, why take such a risk?

It seems like police are secondary usage here. More like a way to card the kiddies for alcohol or tobacco purchases (and they likely don't have access to a database). The way it sounds though is that the police are the ONLY ones required to accept it as an ID, but they have the least need for it.

 

[kumquat]

How is a cop to trust what is on a digital display, he has no control over, is genuine?.

This may shock you, but they thought about that.

 

[Wrecked Em]

You shouldn't need to, they should be able to use the qr code to get all your information.. either way I hope it becomes a thing, I move around a lot within the same city and I hate paying for new license every time I move.

But your phone will have to be unlocked for this. They will simply grab it out of your hands. If you try to pull it away, you'll be charged with assault at best.

 

[ManofGod]

Yeah but, I bet you still have to physically go to the DMV to renew your license. (I am going to renew my on Friday in the State of New York.)

 

[Nobu]

Yeah but, I bet you still have to physically go to the DMV to renew your license. (I am going to renew my on Friday in the State of New York.)

Don't have to do that in louisiana, not every time anyway. That's what expresslane is for.