Virginia’s Mobile ID (mID) is a voluntary, secure, and digital version of your Virginia-issued driver’s license or ID card that you carry in an app on your smartphone. Because the mID is a new technology, you should continue to carry your physical ID with you because not all entities are able to verify mID yet. The Virginia DMV urges people to always carry their physical ID when driving so it can be used in interactions with law enforcement during traffic stops or incidents.
The mID provides an official driver’s license or identification card on your mobile device and gives you the ability to control what information you share. Unlike the physical card and barcode, you may limit the data you share with businesses or organizations that you interact with.
The mID was implemented to give you additional convenience and to improve your privacy and control. Privacy protections are built into the software so that no entities can track how you use your mID. No data ever leaves your device without your consent. Additionally, Virginia is not notified where you use the mID. The mID also gives greater accuracy to the businesses with whom you interact a high level of assurance that the identity data is genuine and unaltered, and can lower the incidence of fraudulent purchases, illegal driving, and criminals impersonating citizens.