With digital IDs on the rise, more and more people are transitioning to the new ID format, but will police accept a digital ID? With legislation varying drastically from state to state, police acceptance has to be determined on a state level. Currently, there are only 33 states who either have an active digital ID, are in pilot, or have legislation in place to debate introducing a digital ID.
US States with active digital IDs
- Arizona – Apple Wallet version
- Colorado – Apple Wallet version
- Delaware – state based app
- Florida – state based app
- Georgia – Apple Wallet version
- Iowa – state based app
- Louisiana – state based app
- Maryland – Apple Wallet version
- Mississippi – state based app
- *Oklahoma – state based app (temporarily suspended; see below)
- Utah – state based app
States with digital IDs in pilots
- California
- Connecticut
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- *Missouri (was active, but seems to have been pulled off app stores, see below)
- New York
- Virginia
- West Virginia
States with legislation for digital IDs
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Vermont
- Washington D.C.
- Wyoming
*Please note: Oklahoma’s OK Mobile ID app was live, but pulled it off the market for the time being because the Department of Justice found the app to be in violation of the ADA.
*Missouri’s mID app was also in pilot, but has been pulled for unknown reasons. However, some Reddit users claimed they got letters in the mail saying they were temporarily removing the service.
Of the states with active mobile IDs and pilots, police acceptance is answered below.
Will police accept a digital ID in Arizona
No. Per the Arizona DMV, you should still carry your physical ID for use during interactions with law enforcement or during traffic stops.
Will police accept a mobile ID in California
No. While this ID format is accepted at participating airports, the California digital ID is not currently accepted by police, state, and government agencies.
Will police accept a digital ID in Colorado
Partially. The Colorado State Patrol, as well as more than a dozen local law enforcement agencies, accept the Colorado digital ID. The state is actively working with other local police offices and sheriff’s offices to help them accept the digital ID.
Will police accept a mobile ID in Connecticut
No. While it was announced that the state is looking to implement a digital ID, the pilot, nor the app has been fully developed.
Will police accept a digital ID in Delaware
No. Per the Delaware DMV, it is required by law to present a physical ID when requested. This extends to law enforcement and businesses alike.
Will police accept a mobile ID in Florida
Yes. Florida residents and app users will be able to use their Florida Smart ID and present it to police officers in place of their physical ID.
Will police accept a digital ID in Georgia
No. While this ID format is accepted at participating airports, the Georgia Digital ID is not currently accepted by police, state, and government agencies.
Will police accept a mobile ID in Hawaii
No. While it was announced that the state is looking to implement a digital ID, the pilot, nor the app has been fully developed.
Will police accept a digital ID in Illinois
No. While it was announced that the state is looking to implement a digital ID, the pilot, nor the app has been fully developed.
Will police accept a mobile ID in Indiana
No. While it was announced that the state is looking to implement a digital ID, the pilot, nor the app has been fully developed.
Will police accept a digital ID in Iowa
Yes. Per the Iowa Department of Transportation, the Iowa Mobile ID is accepted by any business, government entity or law enforcement agency.
Will police accept a mobile ID in Kentucky
No. While it was announced that the state is looking to implement a digital ID, the pilot, nor the app has been fully developed.
Will police accept a digital ID in Louisiana
Yes. The LA Wallet app is accepted by Louisiana law enforcement and any government or retail location statewide.
Will police accept a mobile ID in Maryland
No. Per the Maryland DOT, the Maryland Mobile ID serves as a companion to your physical ID, and at this time is not considered to be a replacement. You must continue carrying your physical copy for the time being.
Will police accept a digital ID in Mississippi
Yes. The Mississippi Mobile ID can be used as a legal form of identity verification anywhere in the state that residents would usually show ID.
Will police accept a mobile ID in Missouri
No. While the app was launched in a pilot form, it has since been pulled from app stores for unknown reasons.
Will police accept a digital ID in New York
No. While it was announced that the state is looking to implement a digital ID, the pilot, nor the app has been fully developed.
Will police accept a mobile ID in Oklahoma
No. The digital ID app was live, but has since been pulled off app stores due to the Justice Department finding the app to be in violation of the ADA for persons with visual impairments.
Will police accept a digital ID in Utah
No. Per the Utah DOT, police and other law enforcement do not currently have the capability to verify digital IDs. This means residents will still need to carry their physical ID for the time being.
Will police accept a mobile ID in Virginia
No. While it was announced that the state is looking to implement a digital ID, the pilot, nor the app has been fully developed.
Will police accept a digital ID in West Virginia
No, but should be accepted once the app is live. While it was announced that the state is looking to implement a digital ID, the pilot, nor the app has been fully developed.
While some states, like Florida, Louisiana, etc., might accept their state’s digital ID, they often still don’t accept out of state mobile IDs. For this reason, when traveling out of state, you should always carry your physical ID with you as a precaution.
It is also worth noting that laws change all the time, so it is important to stay up to date on your state’s legal requirements for digital IDs. We also keep up with any ID changes, or ID scanning requirements, so be sure to visit our ID laws page for more information.
