Overview & Background
There are currently more than 175 Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) offices located throughout
the state of California, serving its nearly 40 million residents. DMV also participates in many
outreach events and hosts Local Assistance Centers in disaster zones to serve local communities
in need of DMV services. Additionally, there are 156 American Automobile Association (AAA) offices
in the state that provide further DMV services and functions to improve the overall DMV customer
experience, and generally accommodate the large population. The AAA offices provide vehicle
related services of a traditional DMV, such as automobile registration renewal and replacement
license plates, in addition to the standard AAA office services. AAA offices, outreach events and
Local Assistance Centers thus represent a unique opportunity to act as a natural extension of the
DMV, offering Driver License and ID Card services.
Rising Demand for REAL IDs
Starting May 7, 2025, all travelers ages 18 and older will be required to possess a REAL ID card or
other federally approved document to board domestic flights or enter military bases and most
federal facilities. The original REAL ID enforcement date was extended past its initial deadline due
to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting DMV closures and economic downturn.
As the country emerges from a period of restricted in-person accessibility, DMVs and DMV service
providers need to take measures to accommodate the remaining individuals who have not yet
applied for and received a REAL ID.
It should be expected that demand for REAL ID services, which involves the routine license renewal
processes as well as additional biometric data collection and documentation, will only increase
as the May deadline approaches. As of Dec 31, 2022, there are 14.9 million Californians who have
received Real-ID cards. However, this is only a fraction of the population, and with less than a year
left until the enforcement date, there will likely be an influx of customers to DMVs and extended
locations for REAL ID registration. In an effort to meet the increased demand, California DMV
Director Steve Gordon has stated, “We continue to aggressively pursue service improvements so
anyone who is eligible and wants a REAL ID today can get it. There is no need to wait for long lines
or deadlines.” 1
Reimagining the DMV Office Experience
To accommodate this surge in demand and create elastic capacity for DMV offices, California
has partnered with IDEMIA to deploy the use of its ID Screen biometric tablet in DMVs, AAA
offices, and airports like LAX (as seen through the partnership with United Airlines). The goal of
these efforts is to make DMV services more accessible and portable, reduce transaction time, and
become more automated in an overall effort to improve the DMV customer experience. According
to the California DMV’s website, the DMV “continues to use its online services and other service
channels to complete transactions … with more customers using online services, DMV offices
have more space to accommodate Californians who need a REAL ID”. 2
Utilizing IDEMIA’s ID Screen at both DMVs and other extended locations such as AAA offices
allows customers and institutions to expedite the application process for renewing and applying for an ID or REAL ID.
The California DMV has already seen success with the modernization of its operations. To promote
inclusion and provide ease of access to essential services, the state has launched the California ID
(CalID) Interagency Portal project to bring essential DMV services to certain marginalized groups
like its prison inmate and homeless populations. With the use of the interagency portal combined
with reduction of paper-based processing, Californian inmates will receive their ID cards in 1/3
of the previous time frame. In 2022, this project won the AAMVA Excellence in Government
Partnership award and selected as a finalist for the Gartner Eye on Innovation Award for further
expanding the reach of the DMV to bring its services to a wider range of people.
IDEMIA previously supplied DMVs with the Non-Automated Travel Unit (NATU) for biometric
collection and identification for full service mobile operations. This product consists of four
components: three large, robust cases and a fourth additional soft case. The three hard cases
contain at least four separate devices, along with the supplementary accessories and cords needed
to operate them. These include: a laptop computer, a fingerprint scanner for both the operator
and the applicant, a camera, a printer, and a barcode scanner. Deployment of the workstation
itself requires specific physical and digital set-up for each device as well as constant connection
to a power outlet.
Now, with a lighter footprint and significantly consolidated system, the ID Screen tablet technology
allows for greater flexibility within DMV offices and at extended locations.
Innovation for Process Modernization
To utilize the ID Screen tablet service capabilities and satisfy high levels of demand within
congested DMV offices, the State of California has successfully integrated IDEMIA’s ID Screen
within select DMV offices as well as externally in AAA offices. The ID Screen tablet offers the
unique capability to convert many DMV services such as security screenings, document uploads,
and verification into automated, remote processes thus shortening in-person DMV visitation time.
With the ID Screen, applicants who want to register for a REAL ID can complete a significant
portion of the application process online before they set foot in a physical office. Prior to their visit,
applicants begin the application process by scheduling an in-office appointment online and preuploading necessary documents. Once in a DMV or AAA office, they can complete the physical
data portion which could include biometric data, additional documents and signature collection.
On-site interaction within the DMV personnel is now limited to application review, a vision test,
and photo and fingerprint capture.
In addition to providing an overall more convenient, automated application process, total
application time with ID Screen technology averaged under six minutes across four testing
locations who participated in the pilot. The ability to collect an applicant’s biometric data and
conduct procedure verification tests in a short time is a significant benefit that enables DMV
processes and services to be streamlined and diverted away from busy offices. “The ID Screen
pilot represents a rewarding and innovative opportunity to introduce a unique product to the DMV
environment and demonstrate its new use cases through the modernization of DMV processes,”
states Michael Hash, Senior Vice President of Civil Identity at IDEMIA.
ID Screen Tablet Specifications
IDEMIA’s ID Screen tablet offers top-of-the-line ergonomics and improved performance for most
enabled use cases within the DMV. With single fingerprint capture capabilities, and features such
as an e-ID card contact slot and MRZ scanning capable camera, the ID Screen tablet can facilitate
DMV functions like biometric data enrollment (fingerprint, face, demographic data), document
holder biometric verification, and digital ID creation.
The portable, lightweight tablet is designed for straightforward usage and reliable performance
across all its hardware and software features with a sturdy build and an interface designed for
efficiency in high-demand environments. The full list of features of the tablet includes the following
functions, all within the flat and lightweight body that can easily be navigated and handled with
one hand:
• An e-ID card contact slot and e-ID card NFC scanning
• Fingerprint scanning
• E-passport NFC scanning
• MRZ scanning
Other Tablet Specifications
POWERFUL CPU
Quad Core 2GHz processor
ANDROID OPERATING SYSTEM
Version 10.0 (Q)
Optionally GMS certified
POWERFUL BATTERY
Li-ion Polymer, 5,000 mAh
HIGH-DEFINITION COLOR TOUCHSCREEN
8 inches (1280×800)
OPTICAL FINGERPRINT SENSOR
IDEMIA CBM E3
FBI PIV IQS & STQC certified
SMARTCARD READERS
Contactless ISO/IEC 14443 A/B
MEMORY
3GB of RAM, 32GB flash
USB PORTS
USB host type A + Micro-USB type C
CHARGING
DC in charger (incl. 3 plugs)
LOCALIZATION
GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo
OPERATING CONDITIONS
Temp. 14-1310F (0-500C)
Humidity: 10-90% (non-condensing)
DIMENSIONS
9.25 x 5.2 x0.67 inches (23.4 x 133 x 17 mm)
CERTIFICATIONS
CE, CB, FCC, ROHS, REACh, and WEEE
ACCESSORIES
Silicon protective sleeve, passive stylus
CAMERAS
Front 2MP / Black 8MP with autofocus
Dual flash
NETWORK / COMMUNICATION
Wifi 802.11 ac/b/g/n
Bluetooth 5.0
Dual micro-SIM
4GB:B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B20/B28/TDD38/
TDDB40
3G: B1/B2/B5/B8
Conclusion
As the deadline for enforcement of the REAL ID requirement approaches and the world recovers
from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, DMV offices should be prepared for an
increased demand for their services. To effectively streamline and expedite the delivery of
needed services to create an elastic demand management model, state governments all over
the U.S. could look to the state of California and its DMV offices as an example of how DMV
modernization can be achieved through the use of ID Screen technology.
By continuing to roll out this technology in a growing number of DMV, other state agencies
and AAA offices, the California DMV has been able to effectively clear foot traffic and cut down
on individual transaction times for customer data collection. As a result, California DMV offices
can now serve higher volumes of customers than was possible with previous ID processing
systems. At the forefront of innovation, the ID Screen is enabling any jurisdiction to see massive
improvements in efficiency and service volume capabilities, with scalability and flexibility that
allow for implementation within any population.
