North Carolina mobile driver’s licenses to be available in July 2025

Drivers in North Carolina will be able to use a digital driver’s license starting next summer. Governor Roy Cooper has signed into law House Bill 199, which will give anyone in North Carolina with a valid driver’s license the option to switch to a digital credential as of July 2025.

The change to the law specifies that, “upon request of an applicant for whom a valid license exists or is issued, the Commissioner may issue a mobile drivers license (mDL) as a supplement to the valid license. A mobile drivers license is the legal equivalent of a valid license.”

The North Carolina DMV supports the change on security grounds, saying an mDL is more secure than a physical card. According to a report from WRAL News, DMV Commissioner Wayne Goodwin says digital licenses will keep North Carolina on pace with the 12 states that already offer digital identification, and the 18 other states currently working on digital ID systems.

Illinois is also shifting up on digital driver’s licenses. WAND Illinois reports that a proposal to allow the Secretary of State’s office to launch the process of finding vendors for digital ID production has reached the desk of Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

Supporting the bill when it passed the House in May, Sen. Michael Hastings (D-Frankfort) says by allowing residents to carry a mobile driver’s license or ID credential on their phone, the state is “streamlining daily activities that require identification, such as traffic stops and age verification.”

Article Topics

digital ID  |  driver's license  |  identity document  |  mDL (mobile driver's license)  |  mobile app  |  North Carolina