New license laws are set to be rolled out in this one state. Road traffic policies and legislation are constantly under review by local and federal lawmakers and policy changers. This is order to ensure the safety of road users is constantly maintained as a priority as well as for policy to keep up with the changing realities of the road as road and vehicle technology becomes increasingly more advanced. This summer, residents in this one state have important news regarding the digitalization of their licenses.
Maintaining the safety of road users
This year, across states, changes to road policies and legislation have been rapidly implemented with the majority of these policies regarding speeding and the use of automated technology to assist law enforcement with helping to catch drivers breaking the law. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), speeding accounts for approximately one-third of all road-accident related serious injuries and fatalities.
As such, states have come down hard on both their penalties for drivers who are caught excessively driving over the speed limit as well as changing the speed limits themselves. Florida recently passed legislation which will see not only increased fines, but drivers who are convicted as driving excessively over the speed limit will also be faced with jail time, starting at 30-days.
North Dakota also recently passed legislation which saw a new tiered system of fining speeding drivers go into effect this month. The minimum fine for speeding will be set at $20, or $5 for every mile over the speed limit you are driving at with whichever is higher being the penalty you face for speeding. The new fines are also due to the state raising the interstate’s speed limit in order to remind drivers of the responsibility which comes with being permitted to drive faster.
New digital license policies for this state
This summer, Georgia House Bill 296 went into effect on July 1. This new piece of legislation means that Georgia residents will be permitted to present a mobile or digital license, dubbed mDLs, when stopped by law enforcement. However, there are still limitations currently set in place for the law, with your physical license still needing to be on you when you drive while law enforcement officers scale-up their equipment to be able to read the digital licenses.
From July 1, 2027, however, you will be able to drive solely with a digital license as by then all Georgia law enforcement must have digital license readers to accept the mDLs. Georgia is not the only state to start rolling out digital driver’s licenses, with the Idaho House of Representatives passing a bill in March of this year permitting digital licenses.
Increased technological advancement on the roads
Even more futuristic legislation is in the works in order to prepare for full automated vehicle technology. Companies like Alphabet, Amazon, Volkswagen, Avride, and most recently Tesla have been flocking to Austin Texas in order to pilot their full autonomous driving technologies due to the state’s favorable laws regarding the technology.
“In Texas, [regulations are] the same all across the state, and this is one of the great things about being here as an operator,” said Yulia Shveyko, Avride’s head of communications, to CNBC in June 2025
However, with the increased autonomous driving projects happening in the state. Texas has recently had to pass new legislation regarding the safety procedures put in place for these vehicles. With the possibility of a future where cars no longer need a driver becoming increasingly more likely, major ethical considerations regarding the use of this technology are needing to be clarified and implemented into legal proceedings, such as concerns regarding who is responsible in the case where these vehicles are involved in an accident.
