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Utah officials say the day is coming soon when they will offer "electronic driver licenses" on smartphones, but the technology does not allow that yet.
They delivered that message Wednesday to the Legislature's Transportation Interim Committee after lawmakers had ordered a study on the matter.
Chris Caras, director of the Driver License Division, said many states are seeking the e-licenses and many vendors are also working on them, but they have yet to solve some major problems.
That includes offering a product that would be recognized by all other states, and one that retailers, airports and other places using licenses for identification can verify as legitimate without the need of buying costly new equipment.
They still are working on ways that police could verify during traffic stops that e-licenses are legitimate, without the need to take and handle the phone itself — possibly using Bluetooth or other technology to allow the driver to transfer information.
Caras said states and vendors are making progress, but e-licenses still could be a few years away.
"There is an expectation that you can do almost anything with your smartphone," said David Fletcher, chief technology officer for the Utah Department of Technology Services.
He noted that 72 percent of adults use smartphones now. And for people between ages 18 and 34, 92 percent use them. He said many do not pack wallets and instead carry everything on their smartphones' "electronic wallets."
Caras said he is confident that will create demand for e-licenses over time.
The Legislature had asked for estimates on how much offering such cards may cost, but Caras said officials found that is impossible without making a formal request for proposals.