The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles first rolled out its Mobile ID to Richmond residents in late 2025 and officially launched it in Hampton Roads at the end of last month.
“Hampton Roads is home to busy airports, attractions and travelers, making it a natural place to expand Virginia Mobile ID,” DMV Commissioner Saundra M. Jack said in a press release published on June 30.
Residents can download the Virginia Mobile ID app, scan the barcode on the back of their physical ID card and take a selfie to get started. They can use their Mobile ID when they need to verify their identity, such as at an airport, or their age, such as at a liquor store.
The list of places where people can use their Mobile ID is limited but growing, DMV spokesperson Camila Barco told WHRO.
Ocean Breeze Waterpark in Virginia Beach, security checkpoints at the Norfolk International Airport, the Virginia State Police and a bevvy of breweries — including Afterglow Brewing in Norfolk, Big Ugly Brewing in Chesapeake, Commonwealth Brewing Co in Virginia Beach, Smartmouth Brewing Company in Virginia Beach and Studley Brewing in Chesapeake — currently accept it.
Other states have already been using mobile IDs for years, including Louisiana, Colorado, Arizona and California. Digital IDs have raised concerns about privacy, data leaks and whether mobile IDs make more people vulnerable to unlawful searches, The LA Times reported.
Barco said one way the Mobile ID is more secure than the traditional license card is that it only shares relevant information with businesses.
“Think about the information you hand over when you have your physical driver's license,” she said. “You have your address. You have your eye color, your height.”
And people don’t have to hand over their phone for a state police officer or business to check their driver’s license, she said.
“All they have to do is just scan the QR code, and then they'll verify that it's you,” Barco said.
Barco said the Mobile ID is just an additional option for those with state-issued IDs — the DMV is not moving away from physical cards.
