Approved by the governor earlier this year, New Mexico drivers now can add their driver's licenses and state identification cards to Apple Wallet and Google Wallet to use at certain businesses or venues and Transportation Security Administration checkpoints.
"Having a cellphone and mobile device with you at virtually all times is simply a fact of life these days," Taxation and Revenue Secretary Stephanie Schardin Clarke said in a statement. "This new capability adds one more level of convenience for us all."
However, the mobile license or ID doesn't replace physical cards. New Mexicans must still carry their physical licenses when driving, according to the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division; the electronic license is just an option in addition to carrying physical credentials. The idea is that New Mexicans could present their phone instead of a physical card at businesses like bars or grocery stores or at airport security checkpoints.
No New Mexico airports currently accept digital IDs, according to TSA, though that could change soon. The Albuquerque International Sunport and the Lea County Regional Airport near Hobbs are expected to start supporting mobile driver's licenses in the coming weeks, according to the MVD.
More than two dozen states accept digital IDs at TSA checkpoints. The full list can be found at tsa.gov/travel/digital-id/map.
Any businesses or organizations in New Mexico that have to verify a customer's age also will be able to accept mobile driver's licenses by using a free iPhone app called NM Verifier provided by the MVD and New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department.
To add an electronic license or ID to an Apple Wallet, residents can tap the add (+) button at the top of the screen, select the "driver's license or state ID" option and then follow the onscreen instructions. It's a similar process for Google Wallet, where residents can select the "add to Wallet" option, select the "ID card" option and then follow the verification steps.
Both digital wallets have privacy and security features, according to the MVD, including information encryption. Both require some kind of authentication, like biometrics or a pin, before information is shared with a business or other entity.
Residents don't have to give their phones to anyone for mobile age verification.
More information on how to download the digital licenses or NM Verifier app can be found online at mvdonline.com.
© 2024 the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
