Proposed digital ID would be disallowed for use when voting, interacting with law enforcement
A reintroduced legislative package that would allow the state to issue digital, mobile phone identification cards was back before a Senate panel on Tuesday, but they face a series of challenges before they move forward, including concerns over privacy and their overall usefulness in key situations.
The package — Senate Bills 617, 618, 619, 620 and 621 — were up for discussion before the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The committee adopted several substitutes to the package but did not vote to move any of the bills to the Senate floor.
Legislative analysis from the Senate Fiscal Agency shows that bills would give the Michigan Department of State the ability to issue state IDs or driver’s licenses upon a resident’s request. The aim is to give residents another option if their IDs or driver’s licenses are either lost or being replaced, but the convenience may end there.
The panel was told by the state on Tuesday that drivers would still have to keep their physical licenses on them if they were operating a motor vehicle and were ultimately stopped by local, county or statewide law enforcement. In those cases, drivers would still need to show their physical identification and licenses to officers, negating the usefulness of the digital ID.
https://michiganadvance.com/2026/02/24/proposed-digital-id-would-be-disallowed-for-use-when-voting-interacting-with-law-enforcement/