Beyond its use for cryptocurrency, Blockchain is proving to be a valuable technology to help modernize government service delivery. The key quality of blockchain is its ability to record transactions immutably. Managing transactions is a key function of state and local governments, and as such, they are looking for ways to incorporate blockchain as part of their digital modernization processes.
The decentralization of blockchain provides a level of transparency and accountability not typically associated with government. It can give citizens more control over their data and let them more easily check the status of requests they've made of their state and local governments.
Property records
The city of Baltimore, MD is utilizing blockchain to expedite real estate transactions, particularly those related to vacant properties. Vacant properties present public safety concerns as well as impede the continuing development of underserved and neglected communities. The city now employs blockchain to provide a secure transaction record that can speed up the process of getting vacant properties on the market and sold. The use of blockchain reduces paperwork, which can also lower transaction costs for buyers and sellers, further helping them close deals more quickly.
Vital Records
Riverside County, CA is looking at utilizing blockchain as part of an effort to convert paper-centric services into electronic options. Blockchain would enable citizens to order and receive copies of vital records online. Those digital documents would be verifiable via a public-facing website. For example, once a certified copy of a birth, death, or marriage certificate is issued as a PDF, the blockchain will hash the PDF-certified copy and record only the document's hash and defined metadata. To validate the PDF as an "authentic" certified copy, users will access a web-based verification portal to upload the PDF document. The PDF's hash is then compared to the hash stored in the blockchain, and if they match, the document is authenticated.
Permits
Santa Cruz County, CA has a digital wallet and mobile app that allows residents to apply for recreational vehicle (RV) permits. In addition to streamlining the permitting process, the app also allows public safety officials and residents to rapidly verify whether someone has a permit without making contact with the permit holder.
Voting
While widespread use of blockchain for voting is far in the future, the technology is being employed today in various capacities. In the November 2024 election, Screven County, GA became the first county in the United States to use blockchain to safeguard the results of its elections. The county's election summary reports, which contain vote tallies, and its statement of votes cast, which provides a county-wide overview of election results and other election details, were stored and secured on a blockchain, providing transparency into how and when these were submitted.
Blockchain is also being piloted in areas where Internet voting is permitted, benefitting such groups as overseas and military voters, as well as voters with disabilities. In 2018, West Virginia gave military personnel stationed overseas access to an app that facilitated blockchain-based voting. In 2020, Utah implemented blockchain voting for its Republican primary.
To learn more about how blockchain is empowering citizen interactions with state and local governments, check out these resources.
- ACT-IAC Digital Transformation Summit (February 19, 2025; Reston, VA) - This summit will focus on where digital transformation is today, how it has been used to transition to new innovative technologies, and how it has improved overall performance.
- Cybersecurity Modernization Summit (March 4, 2025; virtual) - This virtual event will bring together cybersecurity leaders to explore the ongoing challenge of cybersecurity in the state and local government and higher education communities. They will discuss the expanding threat landscape, defense tactics, and intersections with other trending topics in the public sector technology community, with a focus on lessons learned.
- ICMA Local Government Reimagined Conference (April 2-4, 2025; Milwaukee, WI) - Discover how public administrators are reshaping resilient and equitable outcomes for their work and their communities.
- State and Local: Making an Impact (white paper) - Explore nine real-world examples from governments across different levels and regions where change has directly benefited constituents, from unemployment assistance to flood warnings. Each project is a testament to local agencies stepping up to meet critical needs and, in doing so, strengthening public trust.
- States Embrace E-Signatures to Support Secure and Convenient Elections (white paper) - As states continue to modernize their election processes, they're increasingly turning to innovative technologies to make voter identification easier, more dependable, and more trusted.
For further information on blockchain use in government, search for additional events and resources on GovEvents and GovWhitePapers.