In general provisions, further providing for definitions; and, in licensing of drivers, further providing for issuance and content of driver's license and for carrying and exhibiting driver's license on demand.
HB1970 would authorize the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to issue electronic driver’s licenses and electronic identification cards, in addition to physical cards. The bill defines key terms for the new digital credentials and the systems used to issue, display, and verify them, including requirements that the electronic products and verification processes comply with approved national and international standards. It also allows the department to use third-party electronic product systems, including electronic wallets, subject to privacy and security conditions.
The bill sets out how electronic credentials may be used and verified. A person who holds an electronic driver’s license or ID card could present it on an electronic device, and the holder would control whether a verifier sees a full profile, limited profile, or no data fields. The bill also directs the department to create a verification process, update electronic credential data when records change, and provide educational materials and cost reports to legislative leaders and transportation committees. It further clarifies that an electronic credential is generally treated the same as a physical one, except for specified limits, including under the driver’s license carry-and-exhibit law and the Election Code, unless federal law requires otherwise.
HB1970 would amend Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes by expanding the definition of driver’s license and identification card to include electronic versions, and by adding new rules governing issuance, verification, privacy, and third-party systems. It would also revise the law requiring drivers to carry and exhibit a license on demand so that a physical driver’s license remains the default item to possess while driving, while adding special rules for presenting an electronic license to law enforcement and limiting police access to only the relevant credential information. The bill would affect PennDOT, drivers, ID card holders, law enforcement, verifiers, and any third-party vendors or wallet providers involved in digital credential systems.
The bill appears to have generally favorable support, especially in committee and on final passage, but not unanimous support. It passed House Transportation 25-1 on both the amendment and reporting votes, passed House Appropriations 37-0, and then passed the House floor 185-15. That voting pattern suggests broad bipartisan acceptance of the concept of electronic credentials, with some members remaining opposed or cautious.
The main points of contention center on privacy, data collection, law enforcement access, and the role of third-party technology providers. The bill includes extensive restrictions on what data third-party systems and verifiers may collect, how long they may retain it, and whether they may sell or share it, reflecting concern about tracking and misuse of personal information. Another issue is how much access police may have when an electronic license is presented; the bill limits review to the full profile and bars use of inadvertently viewed extra information. There is also a policy distinction between electronic credentials and the Election Code, where the bill expressly limits their equivalence, and some members may have been concerned about security, implementation costs, and whether digital IDs should be treated the same as physical IDs in all contexts.