California Samsung owners just got another way to flash their ID without digging into their wallets. The state has expanded its mobile driver’s license (mDL) pilot so Samsung smartphone users can now tuck a DMV-issued digital driver’s license or state ID into Samsung Wallet. The phone-based credential can confirm your age or identity without exposing your home address, but it does not fully replace your plastic card yet, and officials say you should still carry the physical license for now.
The expansion was announced on Tuesday, when state officials said Samsung Wallet joins the CA DMV Wallet, Apple Wallet and Google Wallet as approved platforms for California’s mDL program. “We’re continuing to advance the DMV with secure, digital options that give Californians more choices and flexibility,” California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin said in the release, according to the Governor’s Office.
How to add your ID to Samsung Wallet
The California DMV lays out a straightforward enrollment process: open Samsung Wallet’s Quick Access tab, tap the “+” button, select “Digital IDs,” choose the Driver License/State ID icon, then scan the front and back of your physical card. After that, you complete a face-scan liveness check and authenticate with a fingerprint or PIN before submitting. The DMV notes that the process uses on-device biometric checks and that participation is voluntary and free, per the California DMV.
Where you can use the mobile ID now
State materials say that Real ID holders can present mDLs at TSA security checkpoints, and the credential is already being accepted by participating businesses for age verification and some college enrollment steps. Early support is still limited, though. Samsung Wallet users will initially be confined to select airport screening locations, with more sites expected to be added over time, according to local coverage reports. See The Sacramento Bee for local context and rollout details.
Numbers, pilot cap and privacy
Officials say the program already has millions of users, and the governor’s announcement put active mDLs at roughly 1.7 million, but participation remains capped while the state tests the technology. The CA DMV Wallet page lists the pilot’s enrollment limit at 4.2 million participants, per the California DMV. The governor’s release also highlights privacy features that let users disclose only the information required for a transaction, such as name or age, instead of a full address, according to the Governor’s Office.
What comes next
For now, the rollout is still a time-limited pilot, and lawmakers are ironing out legal wrinkles. AB 1149 would temporarily exempt mDL participants from the state rule that bars possession of more than one license while the pilot is ongoing, a tweak supporters say is needed if the program is going to scale. Officials and vendors say they plan to add verifiers and airport locations gradually while they monitor usage and privacy protections, so expect a slow, steady expansion rather than a sudden retirement of the physical ID.
