Virginia is now offering an airport-legit digital ID. And it’s free.
Whether you’re catching a flight, buying drinks, or getting pulled over, you can whip out your phone and show your Virginia Mobile ID.
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What Is Virginia Mobile ID?
Virginia Mobile ID is a digital version of your driver’s license or state ID card. It’s stored in an app that DMV has stamped as secure and your information is accessed by scanning a QR code.
Privacy & Security
According to DMV, these digital IDs are designed to be fast, private, and keep you in control over the information you share.
Instead of handing over a full ID—or even your phone—DMV says you can choose exactly what information to share and authorize for each request. For example, you could allow it to confirm your age without disclosing your name and address.
“Virginia Mobile ID is one of the most secure digital credentials available,” claims DMV. The data is transmitted securely via encryption directly between your phone and the reader device, and according to the department, DMV never stores or tracks user activity.
Digital-First
“Most of us rely heavily on our phones, which is why Virginians should have access to a safe, secure form of mobile identification on the devices they use all the time,” said Secretary of Transportation W. Sheppard Miller III.
“Virginians are well positioned for a digital-first world with Virginia Mobile ID,” said Dr. Gerald Lackey, DMV Commissioner.
With the launch of this digital ID, on one hand DMV talks about the convenience and being digital-first, but the department also said you still need to carry your physical ID, “especially when driving.”
Getting Mobile ID
If you want to go mobile with your ID
• Download the Virginia Mobile ID app from the App Store or Google Play.
• Scan your ID.
• Complete face verification
Then, your mobile ID is supposed to be ready to go.
Acceptance:
Lackey said DMV is actively working on expanding mobile ID acceptance and adding new functionality, such as digital wallet integration.
Currently VA Mobile ID is accepted by:
All DMV Customer Service Centers
250+ U.S. airports including Virginia Airports:
- Reagan Washington National (DCA)
- Washington-Dulles (IAD)
- Richmond (RIC)
- Norfolk (ORF)
- Newport News/Williamsburg (PHF)
- Roanoke (ROA)
Virginia ABC Stores in the Richmond Area
- Scott’s Addition – 3100-A W Broad St, Richmond
- Carytown – 20 S Nansemond St, Richmond
- VCU Area – 1217-1219 W Broad St, Richmond
- Short Pump Crossing – 3450-3452 Pump Road, Henrico
- The Shoppes at Bellgrade – 11400 W. Huguenot Rd, Midlothian
- Ironwill Centre – 9953 Ironbridge Rd, Chesterfield
- Oak Hill Plaza – 3063 Mechanicsville Turnpike, Richmond
- Brandy Creek Commons – 6589 Mechanicsville Turnpike, Mechanicsville
- Pole Green Commerce Center – 7407 Pole Green Rd, Mechanicsville
Local Law Enforcement Agencies
- Chesterfield County Police Department
- Falls Church Police Department
- Hanover County Sheriff’s Office
- Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office
- New Kent County Sheriff’s Office
- Portsmouth Police Department
- Staunton Police Department
- Virginia Beach Police Department
- Washington County Sheriff’s Office
- Wytheville Police Department
Other Businesses
• Afterglow Brewing – 2330 Bowdens Ferry Road, Norfolk
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