Iowa Department of Transportation Releasing App to Double as Driver’s License

If there’s one thing I know about the future versions of all of us, it’s that they hate wallets. Currency is going digital, all of your cards are being condensed into one, and now Iowa’s Department of Transportation is releasing an app that can serve as your driver’s license or identification card, allowing you to leave your traditional card at home.

The Hawkeye State is rolling this out sometime in 2015. Of course this app isn’t replacing driver’s licenses, because that would require everyone to have a phone, but it does sound like if you have the app, you don’t need to have your physical ID on you. Iowa DOT director Paul Trombino refers to it as a “supplement” to your physical card that will complement your electronic proof of insurance.

People who aggressively protect themselves from identity theft are no doubt going to have a problem with carrying such important information on their smartphone, but as Gizmodo points out, it’s no different than having a banking app on your phone that’s tied to your bank account. And just like a banking app, the “identity vault app” as Trombino puts it, will be protected with a PIN. That already makes it more secure than your physical ID, which is immediately accessible if someone lifts your wallet. Smartphones are among the most popular targets for thieves, but wallets still get stolen, too.