California has expanded its mobile driver’s license program to Samsung Wallet, adding a fourth smartphone platform for residents to carry and present a state-issued digital credential from a Galaxy device.
The integration, powered by IDEMIA Public Security’s credentialing infrastructure, makes California one of the first states to offer the mDL across all three major digital wallet platforms. Samsung Wallet joins the CA DMV Wallet app, Apple Wallet, and Google Wallet as supported options, giving the state’s mobile credential holders broader platform choice regardless of which smartphone they carry.
Galaxy device owners can add a California driver’s license or state ID to Samsung Wallet by tapping the Add button in the app’s Quick Access tab and selecting Digital IDs. An on-device identity verification process completes the setup, after which the credential can be presented at participating locations without a physical card.
The Samsung Wallet mDL conforms to ISO/IEC 18013-5, the international standard for mobile driving licenses, and supports both in-person and online identity verification scenarios. At launch, the credential is accepted at select TSA airport checkpoints nationwide, including LAX, SFO, and SAN, with additional locations expected to follow. An mDL does not replace the physical license but provides a convenient digital alternative for supported verification points.
California’s mDL program has reached 1.7 million active mobile credentials, with roughly 900,000 held in the DMV’s proprietary wallet app. The expansion to Samsung Wallet broadens access particularly for Android users who prefer Samsung’s native wallet experience over Google Wallet, a distinction that matters in a market where Samsung holds a significant share of U.S. Android device sales.
The rollout follows a pattern seen across several U.S. states adding Samsung Wallet support for mobile IDs alongside Apple and Google. West Virginia, Iowa, and Arizona have also integrated Samsung Wallet mDLs through IDEMIA’s mobile ID platform, which handles issuance, lifecycle management, and secure presentation of the digital credential.
More than 20 U.S. states now offer some form of smartphone-based credential through at least one digital wallet. As mDL adoption accelerates across the country, multi-wallet availability is becoming a baseline expectation for state mobile ID programs, ensuring residents are not locked into a single wallet ecosystem to access their digital credentials.
Sources: California Governor’s Office, PR Newswire
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By the Mobile ID World Editorial Team
