Launch of Alaska Mobile ID brings number of states with mDL to 19

Alaska has launched its mobile driver’s license (mDL) program, referred to locally as Mobile ID (mID), bringing the total number of states to offer mobile licenses to 19.

A March 10 social media post from the State of Alaska DMV confirms that Alaskans can now carry an official Alaska driver’s license or ID on their mobile phone. Thales has the contract to provide the state’s mDLs, which were part of the firm’s demo at the recent Secure Technology Alliance mDL showcase.

As with many mDLs, there is still a requirement for drivers to carry their physical driver’s licenses. (The DMV says the mDL is a “digital companion.”) Users can scan their ID remotely for enrollment through the Alaska Mobile ID app. The app is available from the App Store or Google Play, and has a complementary app for verifying partners, which allows them to accept and verify the mID; this could include retailers, law enforcement, travel partners and more.

For travel, the DMV says mID is expected to be accepted at TSA checkpoints that support digital IDs in mid-to-late 2025.

For now, the mDL can only live in its standalone state DMV app, meaning Samsung, Apple and Google Wallet diehards will have to wait for news on potential integration. So far, there is no clear trend in the U.S. rollout of mDLs: nine states support only their own app, while 10 give the option of a native app or OS-integrated wallet.

As mobile driver’s licenses proliferate across the U.S., there is an increasing push to demystify them and provide examples of use cases beyond just “it’s my driver’s license but on my phone.” Both Thales and the Secure Technology Alliance recently published mDL primers. Experts predict 25 states will have mDLs by 2026 – but for now, it is still often every app for itself.

Article Topics

Alaska  |  Alaska mID  |  digital ID  |  mDL (mobile driver's license)  |  Secure Technology Alliance  |  Thales Digital Identity and Security  |  United States