Alabama could offer optional digital driver’s licenses under proposed bill

Alabama residents could soon have the option to carry a mobile driver’s license (mDL) or nondriver identification card on their smartphones under a bill pre-filed by state Rep. Ontario Tillman, ahead of the 2026 legislative session.

House Bill 110, scheduled for consideration when the legislature reconvenes Jan. 13, would require the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) to offer a digital version of driver’s licenses and state ID cards in addition to the traditional physical credentials for a $15 fee.

The digital cards would be accessible through an ALEA-approved mobile application and contain all the same information as a physical license or ID, including a barcode or other electronic mechanism to reveal identifying details.

Under the bill, a resident could use the digital license in place of a physical card during traffic stops or when asked by a judge, peace officer, state trooper or any other state or local governmental entity in Alabama.

The digital credential would be “recognized as though it were a physical driver license or nondriver identification card.”

However, HB110 explicitly prohibits using the digital version as a form of voter photo identification under current state election law. Voters would still need to present an authorized physical ID for purposes of voting.

The bill also includes provisions designed to address privacy and security concerns. It states that if a person displays a digital license through the ALEA-approved app, that action does not constitute implicit consent to allow law enforcement or others to access or search the rest of the contents of the person’s mobile device unless otherwise allowed by law.

ALEA would be required to apply “reasonable standards of security to protect the integrity of the digital driver license or nondriver identification card and privacy of the licensee.”

ALEA would have the authority to adopt rules to implement and manage the digital license system, including technical and security standards.

If the bill becomes law, its provisions would take effect Oct. 1, 2026. The bill will next go to the House Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security for review.

Last week Kentucky became the 19th state to issue an mDL, enabling residents to prove their identity and age with digital ID.

Article Topics

Alabama  |  digital ID  |  legislation  |  mDL (mobile driver's license)  |  United States