ATLANTA, Ga. — Drivers pulled over by a Georgia state trooper can now show their license on a phone instead of pulling the plastic card from a wallet.
The Georgia Department of Public Safety announced Friday that Georgia State Patrol troopers, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement officers and Capitol Police officers will accept a state-issued digital driver’s license or ID card during traffic stops, crash investigations and other encounters anywhere in the state.
The change traces to House Bill 296, which lets motorists present a license in an approved electronic format while driving. The law gives law enforcement agencies until July 1, 2027, to get the equipment they need to verify digital licenses.
Using it is optional and works without giving up the phone. A driver who wants to use the digital version should tell the trooper first, then hold the phone near the officer’s reader. Troopers will not ask for the digital version on their own, and the physical card remains a valid choice at every stop.
Privacy is built into the exchange, according to the Georgia Department of Driver Services. The officer gets only the details listed on a consent screen that the driver approves with Face ID or Touch ID, the same information printed on a plastic license. The phone does not have to be unlocked or handed over, and the officer cannot see anything else on it. Drivers who use Apple Wallet can check the transaction history afterward to see what was shared, when and with which agency.
For now, no other police force in Georgia besides the State Patrol takes the digital cards. State officials say drivers should keep carrying the physical license or ID until more police departments and sheriff’s offices sign on.
Section: More Augusta GA crime news
Filed under: Augusta GA Public Safety News
