Louisiana residents can now carry their driver’s license on their smartphone.
News outlets report a new phone app, created through a 2016 state law, offers a digital version of the Louisiana driver’s license, allowing motorists an option aside from carrying a physical license.
The smartphone app is called LA Wallet . Though the app is free to download, a $5.99 charge is required to activate the license. Once activated, LA Wallet enables cellphones to display an image of the physical driver’s license.
“Most people never leave home without their smartphone, and with this app they will never be without their driver’s license,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a statement.
The digital license is good for the life of the issuance. When the physical license expires, motorists will have to renew their license with the state Office of Motor Vehicles and buy a new digital license.
LA Wallet was designed by the state police and the Office of Motor Vehicles. It was developed by Envoc, a Louisiana-based software development firm. OMV Commissioner Karen St. Germain said safety measures have been built into the digital license app.
“The safety of the app has been tested with all industry-standard security measures, and with pin number protection, it is protected from anyone using a user’s license information,” she said.
St. Germain said if a user’s phone is lost or stolen, the motorist can log into an online portal to unlink license information from the mobile device. St. Germain said the app does not track the user’s location.
The legislation calling for a digital driver’s license was sponsored by state Rep. Ted James, a Baton Rouge Democrat.
Filed Under: Apps
