From the January 2016 issue
Imagine you?ve just caught the flash of red lights in your rearview mirror. As you pull over, your smartphone sends an alert, requesting permission for the police officer to view your license on a mobile device. You scan your thumb for verification, and the cop approaches. She greets you by name and, as she looks over your vehicle, sends the citation you?ve just received to your phone. You can enter your plea and pay the fine right on your device, the officer says, before heading back to her cruiser.
This scenario is inching closer to reality. Last August, the Iowa Department of Transportation spent $40,000 on a pilot program to outfit 15 state employees with a ?mobile driver?s license,? or mDL. This iOS app displays a virtual license with a rotatable image of the driver?s head (developers call it the ?Harry Potter feature?) after users take a selfie that is verified against their license photo on file. Mark Lowe, director of the Iowa DOT?s Motor Vehicle Division, says the mDL program is the result of public interest in the technology, which could be offered to more Iowans this year. Some proposed benefits seem obvious: Instant updates to addresses and driving records will shorten lines at the DMV, and eliminating physical licenses saves the state production costs. Also, merchants and financial institutions see it as a means of combating fraud. ?We can provide more trust in transactions,? says Lowe. ?There may be a revenue stream from that.?

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