State of digital ID in New Mexico
Status: Legislation approved, app not yet developed
In February 2024, after being approved by state lawmakers, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed Senate Bill 88 into law, allowing the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) to issue mobile driver’s licenses and identification cards. Backed by the state MVD, and introduced by Senator Bobby J. Gonzales, the bill passed unanimously in the state senate and in a 53 to 8 vote in the state house of representatives.
The New Mexico mobile driver’s licenses and ID cards will be available through a state-approved app that has not yet been developed. According to the MVD, the app will display a simplified version of the physical IDs and more detailed data will be encrypted in a barcode. A representative for the Taxation and Revenue Department, which includes the Motor Vehicle Division, stated that users will not have to pay any additional costs for mobile IDs.
The bill states that drivers still must present valid, physical IDs when operating motor vehicles, as New Mexico police departments are currently unable to accept digital IDs. Once available, New Mexico mobile IDs will be eligible for acceptance by the TSA at select checkpoints.
“We’re really excited about the prospect of being able to offer customers a new, convenient and secure means of identification,” Taxation and Revenue Secretary Stephanie Schardin Clarke said in a press release.
The MVD has not released a timeline for the rollout. The bill specifies that the app may be developed by a third-party contractor, but no contractor has been announced.
Other New Mexico mDL resources
New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division asks lawmakers for electronic driver’s licenses