Virginia rolls out Mobile ID, plans to expand use of program across commonwealth
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Virginia State Police, all DMV customer service centers, and nine Virginia ABC stores in the Richmond area will also accept the ID.
This story was originally published by Virginia Mercury.
After a lengthy development process, Virginians will now be able to use their smartphones at select locations to share their personal identification cards, the Department of Motor Vehicles announced on Wednesday morning.
With the debut of Virginia Mobile ID, Virginians may use it at Transportation Security Administration security checkpoints in airports, at select Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority stores and at Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) customer service centers.
The new digital ID tool comes as smartphones infiltrate nearly every aspect of modern life, with people using them to pay for services, access vital information and easily share their personal credentials, including state IDs and driver’s licenses.
“Most of us rely heavily on our phones, which is why Virginians should have access to a safe, secure form of mobile identification on the devices they use all the time,” Secretary of Transportation W. Sheppard Miller III said in a statement.“The Virginia Mobile ID option protects your identity and privacy in the digital age, keeping you in control of what information you share.”
Over 250 TSA checkpoints nationwide, including several at airports in Virginia — Richmond (RIC), Reagan Washington National, Washington-Dulles, Norfolk, Newport News/Williamsburg, and Roanoke — will accept Virginia’s Mobile ID, which is available at no cost in the Apple Store and Google Play.
Virginia State Police, all DMV customer service centers, and nine Virginia ABC stores in the Richmond area will also accept the ID.
The agency is still working to expand the app to be used across the commonwealth at retailers, restaurants, and with local law-enforcement agencies. Virginia expects to roll out the Mobile ID program with digital wallets in the coming months.
In 2017, the lawmakers passed legislation creating the standards for issuing, reviewing and displaying electronic credentials after the DMV conducted a year-long pilot research program.
One of the chief concerns with the application has been privacy.
DMV, which has touted the app as “secure,” said in its releases that, instead of users handing over a full ID — or even a phone — Virginians can choose exactly which information to share and authorize each request, such as confirming they’re over 21 without disclosing their name and address.
The agency said data is transmitted securely via encryption directly between a customer’s phone and electronic reader devices, and never stores or tracks user activity.
The agency is also the founding member of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators’ Digital Trust Service, a nationwide security protocol and intrastate clearinghouse for mobile ID. The agency said this ensures Virginia Mobile ID is one of the most secure digital credentials available.
“The commonwealth has long been a leader in innovation and Virginia Mobile ID is the latest example of how we’re modernizing services for residents,” Gerald Lackey, DMV commissioner, said in a statement. “Over the next few months, we’ll continue expanding mobile ID acceptance with partners, while adding new functionality, such as digital wallet integration. Virginians are well positioned for a digital-first world with Virginia Mobile ID.”
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