Working for Illinois Caucus

84th District Democratic State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit says it has been a slow time for the General Assembly following the fall veto session, but a piece of legislation that passed recently took effect with the help of Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias. It was announced last week by Giannoulias that Apple users could scan their Illinois driver’s licenses or ID cards into their phone and use them as a digital form of identification.

Kifowit says the mobile ID program was born from House Bill 4592, which amended the Illinois Identification Card Act to allow optional access to a digital form of identification and was passed in May 2024. Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the bill into law in August 2024.

"The Illinois General Assembly had to pass the law to give him the authority to do that. So we did pass the law, and now it’s always good for me to see what comes to fruition when we pass laws to help people. And the mobile ID, as you might have reported on or not, is an acceptable form of identification, which can be used by folks to show that they are twenty one years of age or older, by just putting it in their Apple Wallet."

Kifowit says the new law will make it easier for people to properly identify themselves without reaching for their wallet or purse, especially as many people are moving their credit cards and documents like car insurance and passports to their digital wallets.

Kifowit also mentioned that Giannoulias’ office recently opened a new "one-stop shop" DMV facility at 1771 W. Diehl Road, which replaced the old facility on 75th Street that had been open for over 30 years. She says this new facility provides another location in the district for Illinois residents to service their various DMV needs, including getting their license or ID renewed, get new license plates, or taking a driver’s test.