News in Brief

Virginia Rolls Out Smartphone-Based Mobile ID

The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), in the US, has launched Virginia Mobile ID, a smartphone-based version of the state driving licence or ID card, now available as a free app on iOS and Android.

The mobile ID is a digital companion, not a replacement, for the physical credential. Customers must still carry their physical card, particularly when driving, but can present the app in many everyday transactions. Enrolment takes only a few minutes: users download the app, scan the barcode on the back of their licence or ID, and complete a liveness-based face verification step.

Virginia Mobile ID aims to improve both convenience and privacy. Once started, it can be used offline and supports contactless verification. Users choose which attributes to share (for example, ‘21+’ and photo only for age checks), while the DMV says the app employs encryption, prevents acceptance of screenshots and does not track or share personal data.