Iowa residents will soon be able to use their smartphone as their driver's license. Starting next year, the Iowa Department of Transportation will give customers the option of receiving newly issued driver's licenses through a mobile app at no extra cost.

The Des Moines Register notes that mobile driver's licenses will contain all of the same information found on a traditional license. The digital driver's licenses will serve as a valid form of identification during traffic stops and by security at Iowa-area airports according to DOT Director Paul Trombino.

Iowa could very well be the first state to issue digital driver's licenses. Of course, that doesn't mean you have to opt for it as they'll continue to offer traditional plastic driver's licenses to those who aren't yet ready to join the digital age.

The app is said to be "highly secure" as customers will need to use a PIN code to access it.

There are a few unknowns at this point. For example, it's unclear if other states will accept the digital ID as a valid form of ID when traveling outside of the state. What's more, we don't yet know which platforms the accompanying app will work on although a photo in the original article shows a license loaded on an iPhone so it's probably a safe bet that iOS is supported.

While a digital driver's license may seem like a major leap forward, it's worth pointing out that more than 30 states already accept electronic forms of proof of insurance. In that light, a digital driver's license just seems like the next logical step.