Login.gov expands services to cities

The US’s login authentication and ID verification service, login.gov, is now being extended to cities and states across the country.

Run by the General Services Administration (GSA), login.gov is said to be the “one account for government,” and enables the public to use a single account to securely access services across participating government websites.

“Whether accessing state, [city], or federal government services, the public expects and deserves secure and easy ways to get what they need,” said Robin Carnahan, GSA Administrator. “Expanding adoption of login.gov to more states is an opportunity to demonstrate that we can deliver on that expectation and is a priority for GSA and for the country.”

The GSA said that the service now supports over 10 million monthly active users and 40 million monthly sign-ins across nearly 50 agencies and states. Most login.gov accounts are created to receive federal benefits, but in 2022, GSA began offering state and local governments across the country the ability to use its services.

Since then, the use of the service has expanded across state government programmes. To attract more cities and states the GSA has announced a new pricing model to “keep its services affordable while keeping them secure”.

Price scales are based on usage, making it possible to use for a limited use case or pilot. The authentication services are billed on a monthly-active user basis, and the identity verification pricing is based on a five-year credential lifecycle where the cost is effectively split across government agencies.

US state and city governments are eligible to partner with login.gov through an Intergovernmental Cooperation Act (IGCA) agreement.

How California modernised transit benefits

Passengers on Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) buses were one of the first to benefit from the service and use login.gov to access discounted transit benefits for senior citizens and others.

Riders consent to sharing only the information they need to, and “most verify their eligibility in five minutes or less”.

Having proven its usefulness to passengers of MST, the app is now available to riders of Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (SBMTD). Cal-ITP is currently scoping implementing the service for 13 more transit operators in California (as well as others in South Carolina and Connecticut) to provide contactless payment and support reduced fares.

Gillian Gillett, Chief of the Data and Digital Services Division of California’s Department of Transportation, said: “Verification using login.gov opens the door to delivering benefits digitally, making transit more accessible and welcoming to some of the people who need it most.”

Image: GSA