Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday signed legislation allowing mobile driver's licenses and state IDs in Illinois.
But for residents hoping to show proof of identification without needing to open up their wallet and pull out their ID will have to wait several months. The legislation, which is part of Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias' office-wide modernization effort, will not take effect until Jan. 1, 2025.
With mobile IDs and driver's licenses, residents will be allowed to decide what personal information they wish to share through a contactless encrypted data exchange between their device and the reader, officials said. Such IDs will be able to be used in instances such as purchasing alcohol, cannabis or renting a car while hiding other personal information – like their address.
Additionally, an individual displaying their mobile driver’s license or ID would not constitute consent to have the device searched, according to a release from Illinois Sen. Michael E. Hastings who helped champion the law. Twelve states that already offer mobile forms of identification, while at least 18 other states are currently working toward the implementation, state officials said.
Some groups, including the ACLU, previously expressed concerns about the use of mobile identification documents, citing fears that law enforcement could search a person’s phone without proper consent. The measure in Illinois explicitly prohibit law enforcement officers from searching through a phone’s contents after viewing the mobile identification card, according to the legislation.
According to officials with the TSA, the agency does accept mobile identification at airports, but still encourages fliers to carry physical ID cards as well.
As for REAL ID-compliant cards, mobile identification is also able to be used in those situations, but again officials urge residents to bring physical copies of their identification in the event of any issues.
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