(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The state of Illinois is one step closer to allowing people to store digital versions of their driver’s licenses and state ID cards on their smartphones. The Illinois House has passed a bill that would allow the Secretary of State’s Office to issue them.

State Representative Kam Buckner of Chicago, assistant majority leader in the Illinois House, sponsored the legislation.

He says if people can securely store digital versions of credit cards on their smartphones, they should be allowed to do the same with driver’s licenses and state ID cards.

“Yeah, it’s gonna create some ease for many folks who like to use the wallet function on their to have their credit cards and whatnot there. This gives them the same type of convenience and flexibility,” Buckner said.

“We know that more and more folks wanna leave their houses just with their mobile device and not with anything else. And this makes that possible.”

Buckner says since people use smart wallets on their smartphones, it makes sense for Illinois to offer the same option for driver’s licenses and state ID cards.

“People are not as reliant on purchasing wallets as they used to be. Right, almost everything is at our fingertips on our phones. And so this just gives folks the ability to have the opportunity to do that with their driver’s license and their IDs as well,” Buckner said.

“As we look at technological advances, and we look at the way things are skewing, people want options and they want the ability to streamline these processes and this gives them the ability to do that.”

The legislation is now before the Illinois Senate.

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