Ohio lawmakers may expand use of IDs on cellphones
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — About seven months ago, Ohio joined a short list of states in allowing residents to have their ID on their phones. Since then, the use has been fairly limited so Ohio lawmakers are working to expand it with a bipartisan effort.
'I think it's a huge ease-of-use program for the state of Ohio,' Rep. Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township) said.
Hall is one of the sponsors of House Bill 78. The legislation would allow Ohioans to use a valid digital ID instead of a physical ID card, in almost any case. The bill originally allowed Ohioans to use a digital ID for voting, but that was stripped from the bill Tuesday morning.
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'We want to make sure that the infrastructure is ready for that and secure for that,' Hall said.
Under this bill, residents would be able to use a digital ID when they got pulled over, for any Bureau of Motor Vehicle purposes, or simply when an ID is asked for.
Even though people would not need to have a physical ID on hand, they would still need to have one, even if it is locked away and never carried.
'If you want to have a valid credit card, you got to have a valid physical ID as well,' Hall said. 'You can still use a digital side of things, but you need to have that valid for security purposes.'
The Ohio Department of Public Safety said, 'Ohio has worked to ensure that digital IDs are secure and convenient and would welcome more options for residents to use them.'
Hall said it will help Ohioans in more than just day-to-day use.
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'Ease of use, again, for the truck drivers to make it known that they can use a digital ID,' he said.
But the Ohio Trucking Association said this bill will not be much of a game changer. Rep. Jack Daniels (R-New Franklin) owns a trucking company and agreed the digital ID is not what they are worried about.
'I don't care about the phone, that makes no difference to me,' Daniels said. 'I don't see why you need your ID on your phone. I just don't want to lose the enhanced ID.'
Another of the bill's sponsors, Rep. Joe Miller (D-Amherst), said the intent is not to strip the state of enhanced ID usage. Either way, while enhanced IDs, which allow you to cross borders in a vehicle without a passport, are technically legal in the state, the federal government has still not extended its use to Ohio's IDs.
The bill had its first hearing Tuesday, so it likely has a bit of time before passing.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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