Leave your wallet at home
Courtesy Thales
Sometime next year, Floridians will be able to apply for a mobile driver license that resides on their smartphone or tablet, and complements the traditional license in their wallet or purse. The State of Florida will be the first state in the country to provide this option, one that is fully compliant with national and international standards and can be used for other online identity verification purposes, too.
French technology company Thales will supply the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles with the mobile license and the verification services. These new mobile driver licenses have the same validity as traditional driver licenses to verify identity, including proof of age and driving privileges. It also serves an additional role as an authentication tool, enabling Floridians to securely prove who they are online for a variety of services.
“Florida residents will be able to simply activate their mobile identification application, select the type of verification needed, and hold up their mobile device. The mobile device never leaves the owners hand, making it a contact-free and convenient way to show ID,” according to a Thales press release.
“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 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.”
More than simply a digital image of the traditional driver license, these mobile licenses will contain a secure digitized credential whose authenticity can be checked to combat ID fraud and theft, according to Thales. To protect personal privacy, users of mobile driver licenses control what information is displayed from the app depending on the context. For example, to enter a casino it only needs to show that the individual is old enough and the mobile driver license will just display that information – not the individual’s name, date of birth, or address.
LMA Newsletter of 11-9-20
