Case Study: California DMV achieves secure, privacy-first mobile driver’s licenses with Spruce

California DMV issues 4 million+ mobile driver’s licenses with Spruce

The California DMV, serving nearly 40 million residents, faced significant challenges including high costs for physical ID maintenance, rising identity theft, and inefficient manual processes for both residents and businesses. To address these issues following a new legislative mandate, the DMV partnered with SpruceID to implement a pioneering mobile driver's license (mDL) program that prioritized security and resident privacy.

SpruceID designed and built a comprehensive mDL issuance platform and a custom, state-branded wallet app. The solution enabled verifiable identity both online and in-person, supported multiple global credential formats, and enhanced privacy by allowing users to share only necessary information. The results were highly successful, with over 4 million mDLs issued, a 4.8-star app rating across 165,000+ reviews, and a prestigious Gartner award for innovation. SpruceID helped the California DMV set a new national standard for digital credentials.

California DMV