California Mobile Driver’s License: How to Get Your mDL

What SB 169 Changed in July 2026

On July 13, 2026, Governor Newsom signed SB 169, a DMV modernization law passed as part of the 2026–27 transportation budget package. It took effect immediately — and its headline change is about the mobile driver’s license.

California’s mDL pilot launched in August 2023 with enrollment capped at just 15% of licensed drivers. SB 169 quadrupled that cap to 60% of licensed drivers, opening the program to most Californians who want in. According to the Governor’s office, more than 3.5 million Californians had already applied for an mDL by July 2026. If the 60% cap fills up, new applicants will have to wait for a further expansion or for the pilot to open without limits.

The same law also ends the DMV’s mailed driver license expiration courtesy notices — one more reason to track your own renewal date. Our DMV renewal hub covers every renewal path in one place.

What the Mobile Driver’s License Is (and Isn’t)

The California mDL is a digital version of your driver’s license or ID card that lives on your phone. It is free under the pilot program and completely voluntary — nobody is required to get one.

What it is not: a replacement for your plastic card. In the DMV’s own words, “as part of the mDL pilot, you still need to have your physical card with you.” Think of the mDL as a convenient companion — handy at airport security and for proving your age — while your physical card remains your legal license.

One choice to know up front: you must choose either your driver’s license or your ID card for your mDL. You cannot put both on your phone.

The 4 Wallets Compared

California offers four ways to carry an mDL, and they are not equal. The official CA DMV Wallet app does far more than the phone makers’ wallets, which are currently focused on TSA checkpoints.

If you only fly occasionally, any wallet works at the airport. If you want the placard application, MyDMV login, and the widest acceptance inside California, the CA DMV Wallet is the one to get.

How to Get It: the CA DMV Wallet

Adding It to Apple, Google, or Samsung Wallet

Apple Wallet: open Wallet, tap (+), choose “Driver’s License or State ID,” select California, then scan the front and back of your card and confirm your information. You need an iPhone XS or newer with the latest iOS. One ID can live on up to two iPhones and two paired Apple Watches.

Google Wallet: open Google Wallet, tap “Add to Wallet,” choose “ID Card,” select California, and verify your license or ID with the CA DMV. At a checkpoint, present it by NFC (with Bluetooth and NFC on) or by QR code. A REAL ID is not required to enroll in Google Wallet.

Samsung Wallet: you need Android 12 or above, a Samsung account, and a supported Galaxy phone (S20 or later, Z Flip/Fold models, or A53/A54). Go to Quick Access, tap (+), choose “Digital IDs,” then “Driver’s License/State ID,” and submit photos of your card plus a face scan, confirmed with your fingerprint or PIN.

Who Can Get an mDL

You need a valid, unexpired, non-suspended California driver’s license or ID card. Some card types are excluded from the pilot:

• Commercial Learner’s Permit — not eligible
• Instruction Permit (Learner’s Permit) — not eligible
• Salesperson License — not eligible
• Temporary Driver’s License — not eligible

Minors: drivers aged 13–17 can request an mDL remotely — in the CA DMV Wallet or Apple Wallet app, or through the DMV’s mDL for Minors page (the only route for Google and Samsung Wallets). Children under 13 must visit a field office.

REAL ID: you do not need a REAL ID to enroll. But if you want to use your mDL for domestic air travel, the DMV says your credential must be REAL ID-based. Our REAL ID guide explains the difference.

Expired card? An unexpired physical card is required. Renew first — most people can renew their license online — then enroll once your new card arrives.

Where You Can Use It

The mDL works at select TSA checkpoints, including all 16 California airports on the DMV’s official list:

Participating TSA checkpoints in other states accept it too — check TSA.gov for the current list before you fly.

Inside California, the CA DMV Wallet mDL is accepted for age and identity verification at 800+ locations statewide and online. That includes passwordless login to MyDMV, applying for a Disabled Person Parking Placard, and TruAge age-verified purchases (beer, wine, tobacco, and vape) at select Sacramento-area retailers. One nuance: if you don’t activate TruAge in the app, you’ll still need your physical card for age-restricted purchases — the mDL alone isn’t accepted at retail as proof of age.

Where You Can’t Use It

This is the part too many pages skip. Law enforcement currently does not accept the California mDL. If you are pulled over, you need your physical license — the app will not help you. Many government agencies and businesses don’t accept it yet either.

And a rule the DMV states plainly: never hand your phone to a verifying party, and never just show them your mDL on screen. Verification happens electronically — you present a QR code for them to scan or tap your device to a reader, approve with Face ID, fingerprint, or PIN, and your phone stays in your hand the whole time.

Traveling to another state? Whether your California mDL is accepted “depends on the state,” per the DMV — so keep your physical card with you whenever you travel.

Privacy and Security

The mDL was designed to share less than your plastic card, not more:

• Your data stays on your device, encrypted. The DMV says no one — including the DMV, other state agencies, or your phone’s manufacturer — can read it without your consent.
• Usage is not tracked, and no data leaves your device without your consent.
• Selective disclosure: a verifier gets only what’s needed (for example, “over 21”), instead of your name, photo, birthdate, and address all at once like a physical card.
• Device lock required: Face ID, fingerprint, or PIN — the app won’t run without one. Liveness detection stops photo spoofing.
• “Unknown Reader” warning: if a verifier isn’t on the DMV’s Trusted Verifiers list, the app warns you to use caution.

Lost your phone? On Apple, lock or erase it remotely with Find My. On Google, delete your Digital ID at myaccount.google.com. On Samsung, use SmartThings Find to lock or erase. Then re-enroll on your new device — there is no electronic transfer, so delete the mDL from the old phone and submit a fresh request.

Troubleshooting: Rejections, Refresh, and New Phones

Need a designated field office or a kiosk for the in-person route? See our DMV kiosk guide for locations and what kiosks can do.

Related Guides

Last verified against dmv.ca.gov: October 20, 2026. Requirements change — confirm current rules with the DMV before you enroll.