Florida to begin providing mobile driver licenses next year

Writer: Derrick Shaw
Published: Updated:
Florida residents will have a mobile option for their drivers’ licenses beginning in 2021. This illustration is not an actual depiction of the digital license. (Credit: FLDHSMV / Stock photo)

Florida residents will have a mobile option for their drivers’ licenses beginning in 2021.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLDHSMV) will offer licenses that will be available through an app on smartphones and tablets.

The licenses will be as valid and acceptable as traditional licenses when it comes to verifying identity, age, and driving privileges.

“I’m excited for this innovative 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 L. Rhodes, executive director of the FLDHSMV. “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.”

An extra layer of security means people won’t have to worry about identity theft and fraud, as mobile licenses are harder to counterfeit.

“As ID fraud becomes more frequent and sophisticated, we made it a priority to reinforce ID verification by adding extra software security technologies. In the future, enterprises such as airports, hotels, car rental companies, etcetera, in Florida will be able to rely on Thales to identify customers, while guaranteeing their privacy”, said Tony Lo Brutto, vice president of NORAM, Identity and Biometric Solutions at Thales, which is providing the technology for the state.

Thales said 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’s license will just display that information – not the individual’s name, date of birth, or address.

The FLDHSMV has yet to announce an exact date when mobile licenses will be available.

https://www.thalesgroup.com/sites/default/files/gemalto/gov-noram-infographic-ddl-links.pdf

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