A new Alaska law lets employees show a digital driver's license instead of a physical card—but there's a catch business owners should understand.
Most salon and personal care business owners in Alaska don't realize that a provision buried in SB237 (the Electronic Driver's Licenses/Data Sharing bill) directly affects how their employees can prove they're licensed to drive—and what that means for your liability if they get stopped.
Under Section 8 of SB237, which amended AS 28.15.011(b), Alaska now permits drivers to satisfy the legal requirement to possess a driver's license by showing an electronic version on a mobile device. This took effect immediately when the bill passed, under AS 01.10.070(c).
In plain terms: your employee can now pull up their driver's license on their phone instead of carrying a physical card in their wallet.
If you own a salon or personal care business with employees who drive for work—whether that's mobile estheticians, delivery drivers, or staff traveling between locations—this provision matters to you. For small businesses, the practical benefit is straightforward: employees are less likely to face a citation for a missing physical license if they can instantly display the digital version during a traffic stop.
This reduces a common headache: the employee who forgets their wallet but has their phone. Previously, that was a legal problem. Now it isn't—at least not automatically.
Before you tell all your staff to leave their physical licenses at home, understand the catch. The law preserves the commissioner's authority to require a physical license in certain circumstances. This means that while the electronic license is now legally acceptable, the state retains the power to impose additional requirements or exceptions down the road.
In practical terms: the electronic license reduces your compliance risk, but it doesn't eliminate it entirely. Your business should not assume that a digital license is always sufficient in every situation.
If your business relies on employees driving, you don't need to take immediate action, but you should be aware of the change. Make sure your staff knows they can use an electronic license. At the same time, it's still reasonable business practice to encourage employees to carry a physical license as a backup—especially since the commissioner's authority to require one hasn't gone away.
If you have questions about how this applies to your specific business operations, your trade association or legal advisor can help you think through your particular situation.
Source: Alaska SB237, Section 8, AS 28.15.011(b), effective immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).