Illinois Just Got One Step Closer To Digital Driver's Licenses

Have you heard of Illinois House Bill 4592 (HB4592)?

If you're someone who embraces technology, Illinois House Bill 4592 is something that may interest you, since it brings that little plastic card in your wallet (that you need for so many things) away from "the way we've always done things" into the digital age by allowing us to have our driver's licenses on our phones.

On Monday in Springfield, Illinois House Bill 4592 was unanimously passed, which helps pave the way toward allowing Illinois residents to use a digital copy of their driver’s license or state ID. The bill now advances to the Illinois Senate.

Is this something you'd be likely to do, or are you happy keeping your driver's license "old-school?"

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So, What's A Digital Driver's License, And How Does It Work?

Even though I typed it myself, I've got to say that's a great question. I haven't had many problems with the old-timey analog driver's licenses, and other than wear and tear (along with a stack of yearly stickers in the upper corner), I don't have much to complain about with our plates, either.

According to an explanation at UpgradedPoints.com, the digital driver’s license (DDL) is a secure version of your physical driver’s license or ID card that can be stored on your cell phone: "Both iPhone and Android users can already store things like credit cards, plane tickets, hotel keys, and event tickets in digital wallets. In the same way, a DDL grants you easy access to your license or ID on your device."

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Digital Driver's Licenses Are In Place In Multiple States, And Even More States Are Moving Toward Digital Plates And IDs

The states currently offering the option of a DDL, or are in the testing phase, include

Arizona
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Iowa
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
New York
Oklahoma
Utah

The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, said the DDL/ID would not replace someone’s physical cards, but instead they would complement them

Here's how they work in California:

LOOK: See how much gasoline cost the year you started driving

To find out more about how has the price of gas changed throughout the years, Stacker ran the numbers on the cost of a gallon of gasoline for each of the last 84 years. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (released in April 2020), we analyzed the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from 1976 to 2020 along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for unleaded regular gasoline from 1937 to 1976, including the absolute and inflation-adjusted prices for each year.

Read on to explore the cost of gas over time and rediscover just how much a gallon was when you first started driving.

Gallery Credit: Sophia Crisafulli

Filed Under: Illinois government