TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Florida will soon become one of the first states in the United States to provide drivers with "mobile driver licenses" that can be seen through an app on smartphones and tablets.
In 2021, Florida residents will be able to start applying for the new mobile licenses that will accessible on a variety of devices, including smartphones and tablets.
That means Florida residents will be able to activate their mobile identification app, select the type of verification needed, and hold up their mobile device.
“I’m excited for this innovation project that will make the state of Florida a national leader in offering secure and trusted mobile identification, which is a priority for our Governor, Ron DeSantis,” said Terry L. Rhodes, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. “We have made a sustained commitment to the modernization of nearly every aspect of what our department does and how customers access our services, and Thales will be a great partner as Florida now steps into the future of mobile identification.”
Thales, the company behind the technology, said that users of mobile driver licenses will also be able control what information is displayed from the app depending on the context.
“As ID fraud becomes more frequent and sophisticated, we made it a priority to reinforce ID verification by adding extra software security technologies. In the future, enterprises such as airports, hotels, car rental companies etc, in Florida will be able to rely on Thales to identify customers, while guaranteeing their privacy”, said Tony Lo Brutto, VP NORAM, Identity and Biometric Solutions at Thales.
They also said the mobile licenses are harder to counterfeit because they host a secure digitized credential whose authenticity can be checked rather than simply displaying a digital image of a driver license that could be easily manipulated.
Thales said the mobile driver licenses "meet the national and international standards from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators and the International Organization for Standardization, meaning they can be used across the United States and internationally."
