Arizona launches digital birth credential for DMV identity verification

Arizona has become the first U.S. state to let residents present a verified digital birth credential from a smartphone during Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) transactions, eliminating the need for a paper birth certificate in eligible cases.

The program, developed by LexisNexis Risk Solutions, the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Arizona Department of Transportation, delivers the credential through VitalChek.

“This initiative can enhance security, streamline access to trusted identity information, and establish a model that can improve service delivery at scale,” says Kellie Broxton, director of Product at VitalChek.

The Arizona rollout reflects a broader global shift as governments digitize foundational identity documents such as birth certificates, driver’s licenses, passports, diplomas and professional credentials into portable digital credentials that can be presented on demand.

LexisNexis and Arizona say the deployment is the first of its kind in the United States.

The digital credential provides Arizona-born residents who arrive at an MVD office without an original or certified birth certificate with an alternative way to prove identity. Customers order the credential on a smartphone and present it during their transaction.

The service costs $40, half covering the charge for the birth certificate and the other $20 a vendor service fee. Payment can be made by credit card from smartphones.

Customers unable to use the process can present another accepted identity document, such as a passport, permanent resident card, or certificate of citizenship.

The launch builds on the Electronic Verification of Vital Events (EVVE) network, which already allows government agencies to verify birth and death records electronically. Arizona extends that model by allowing residents to present a verified digital credential directly from their smartphone during an MVD transaction.

Arizona and LexisNexis have not disclosed whether the workflow uses selfie biometrics, facial comparison or liveness detection to bind the smartphone user to the birth record.

The program entered pilot testing in November 2025 before expanding statewide to Arizona’s MVD offices on June 1, 2026.

Article Topics

Arizona  |  digital birth certificate  |  digital ID  |  identity document  |  identity proofing  |  LexisNexis