08/20/2026
How do you feel about this? A good thing? A bad thing? Let me hear your thoughts.
North Carolina residents will soon have a new way to prove their identity without immediately reaching for a physical driver’s license.
The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles is preparing to roll out its Digital ID program in December, giving residents the option to store a state-issued mobile driver’s license on their smartphones. Participation will be completely voluntary and there will be no cost to use the service.
DMV officials describe the new credential as an additional option rather than a replacement for the traditional license.
“It’s really a convenience thing. It’s another option for people. You won’t have to get one if you don’t want one. It’ll just be kind of a supplemental form of identification,” NC DMV Communications Director Marty Homan said.
The mobile license will initially be housed in the North Carolina Wallet app. The concept is similar to the digital payment cards many people already keep on their phones.
“A lot of people don’t carry cash or even cards anymore because you can tap to pay from your phone,” Homan said. “Same idea with having a digital ID. You can have the credential on your phone.”
One of the first places where the technology is expected to be useful is Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
The Transportation Security Administration already accepts mobile driver's licenses issued by several other states at security checkpoints at Charlotte Douglas. Following North Carolina's launch, eligible travelers will also be able to use the state's digital credential during the TSA identity-verification process.
“This just opens the aperture up to more passengers and gives them a faster way through the checkpoint,” TSA regional spokesperson Carter Langston said. “Being able to download the physical card onto something that people carry with them everywhere they go.”
The technology is similar to other digital identity systems already being used at airports, including TSA's Touchless ID program. Instead of relying solely on a physical card, participating passengers can use digital credentials and facial verification to confirm their identity.
DMV officials emphasize that the mobile license is not simply a photograph or electronic copy of the card. The credential is digitally authenticated and designed with additional security protections.
“It’s not the same as literally taking a picture of it and being able to share that with law enforcement or someone at TSA,” Homan said. “It’s much more secure and digitally verified.”
While airports are expected to be among the earliest adopters, the state anticipates the list of places accepting mobile IDs will grow. Eventually, the technology could be used during encounters with law enforcement or to verify a person's identity and age at businesses, including restaurants and ABC stores.
Drivers should not put away their plastic licenses just yet. Because acceptance will be limited when the program first launches, officials recommend continuing to carry a physical driver's license.
The North Carolina Wallet app will initially be the only platform supporting the state's Digital ID. Officials expect compatibility with other digital wallet services to be added later.
With the launch, North Carolina will become part of a growing nationwide shift toward mobile driver's licenses, giving residents another option for carrying and presenting government-issued identification.
