Utah Bill Aims to Create Voluntary Digital ID

A Utah bill that was passed by the state Legislature and now awaits the governor’s signature would create a voluntary digital identity program.

This program would enable the state’s adult residents who opt in to store a digital credential on their mobile device, present it to businesses instead of a physical ID, and share only the information required by the transaction, according to a blog post by two attorneys at law firm Husch Blackwell.

For example, those with the digital credential would be able to confirm their age, verify a legal name or prove residency without sharing other information, Heidi Salow and Shannon Kapadia wrote in the post.

The program is opt-in for businesses, too. They can choose whether to participate in the program, according to the post.

If the legislation is signed by the governor, the law will be implemented on May 6, per the post.

“Assuming more states follow Utah’s lead in the years ahead, organizations that build these compliance mechanisms into their identity verification products now may see a competitive advantage in the future,” Salow and Kapadia wrote in the post.

The bill, the State-Endorsed Digital Identity Program Amendments (S.B. 275), was passed by Utah’s House of Representatives and Senate on March 4, according to the website of the Utah State Legislature.

In an earlier, separate move, Utah codified a framework for a State-Endorsed Digital Identity with a bill, S.B. 260, enacted during the state Legislature’s 2025 General Session, the Utah Department of Government Operations said in a document posted in October 2025.

The bill codified a framework for a State-Endorsed Digital Identity (SEDI), directed the department to explore implementation of a SEDI program and system, and specified that implementation of a SEDI program must be expressly authorized by the Legislature, per the department.

The SEDI program and system requirements aim to protect individual rights, including privacy; safeguard children and the vulnerable; and strengthen families and communities, the department said.

“The purpose of State-Endorsed Digital Identity (SEDI) is to create a trusted online relationship,” the department said. “We are adding state endorsement to that relationship where it hasn’t existed before.”

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