States encourage acceptance of mobile ID for age assurance, air travel

The U.S. continues to open up to mobile driver’s licenses and other digital identity credentials, as the larger ecosystem of identity wallets, trust frameworks and digital ID enables growth.

State push for New York Mobile ID gets thumbs-up from hospitality industry

Bars and restaurants in New York State are being walked through the process of accepting the New York Mobile ID (MiD) for age assurance, following guidance from the New York State Liquor Authority advising the state’s liquor license holders that the mobile digital credential is an acceptable form of identification for verifying someone’s age. MiD is supplied by Idemia Public Security and picked up more than 100,000 users in the first two months of use.

A release from the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) says it provided a demo at an Albany brewery to showcase the ease of using the digital ID for age assurance.

“The Mobile ID is as equally beneficial to users as it is to the businesses that accept it,” says DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder. “It offers businesses a huge leg up in the fight against identity theft, and gives those verifying a patron’s age greater reassurance that they are not accepting a fake ID, which could result in unknowingly serving someone underage.”

Major bar and restaurant industry associations are on board with using mobile driver’s licenses (mDL) for age checks. President and CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association Melissa Fleischut notes that “Mobile ID allows the hospitality industry to quickly and accurately determine a customer’s age without interrupting or slowing down service. On top of that, it has more features that prevent fraud.”

Executive Director of the Empire State Restaurant and Tavern Association Scott Wexler says adopting tools like MiD for age verification can make operations smoother and safer for establishments.

Mobile ID is optional, and works using QR codes generated on prompt, which vendors can scan with their own mobile devices to read over an encrypted Bluetooth channel. Per the release, “when verifiers check a MiD, an encrypted key signature lets them know the Mobile ID was issued by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and can be trusted.” Users and businesses have the option to share only information that is required.

The DMV is offering free and paid download versions of the verifier app for businesses, and free marketing materials to help them promote their acceptance of Mobile ID.

WV residents can now access driver’s license on mobile device

Mobile digital ID is live in West Virginia. WTAP reports that WV residents now have access to digital versions of their driver’s license or state-issued ID on their mobile phones through the West Virginia mID app. The digital identity credentials can be used for airport security screening at TSA PreCheck Checkpoints, age verification and other ID checks.

Like New York’s, West Virginia’s mobile driver’s license system is enabled through a partnership with Idemia Public Security. The mID app, available for free download via the Apple App Store or Google Play, is designed to conform to the ISO/IEC 18013-5:2021 standard for mobile driver’s licenses.

West Virginia has plans to expand its mobile ID credentials to major brands’ wallets in the near future. Next door, Virginia is also moving to expand mDL adoption through partnerships with the TSA, state police, and major technology firms.

Digital ID wallets, decentralized IDs evolve in tandem with mDLs

The Secure Technology Alliance’s Identity and Access Forum (IAF) has published its winter market snapshot, and it features insights from its recent quarterly member meeting, focused on mobile driver’s licenses, decentralized identity and wallets.

Lori Daigle, Program Specialist in Identity Management at the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), reports significant momentum in mDL adoption, with 14 states currently up and running and an additional 15 to launch programs soon. According to a release, within the next two years, nearly 70 percent of states are anticipated to adopt mDLs.

Panelists Karan Puri of TD Bank and David Kelts of DecipherID explored the growing appetite users have for controlling their own data and identity. Decentralized ID systems can help answer this need; Puri encourages the adoption of “trust frameworks that limit the identity data that is stored,” to mitigate risks associated with data breaches.

Puri also notes mDLs’ potential to “reshape banking operations by addressing synthetic identity fraud and integrating seamless customer data aggregation.” This, of course, will depend on interoperability between and among various wallets and credentials – the golden fleece to weave the global digital wallet ecosystem together.

“Cryptographically protected identity wallets and digital IDs, including mDLs, will be instrumental in advancing the industry,” says the release. But convenience is king when it comes to mainstream adoption, and there remains the ever-present irritant of friction. As always, there is a call to “reduce friction associated with implementation and educate consumers on the accessibility of emerging identity technologies to increase adoption.”

The global conversation on mDLs is still just beginning. But in the U.S., there are already more than five million mDLs in circulation, and the number is curving upward. To continue the discussion, the IAF is hosting an upcoming mDL Technology Showcase at the Identity & Payments Summit in San Diego on February 24th, 2025.

Meanwhile, Biometric Update is hosting a webinar, “Exploring ISO 18013: Integration opportunities and interoperability challenges for mDLs and digital wallets,” on December 19. Register for free here.

Article Topics

digital ID  |  digital wallets  |  mDL (mobile driver's license)  |  New York  |  New York Mobile ID  |  Secure Technology Alliance  |  West Virginia  |  West Virginia mID