FAQs - Mobile ID

PLEASE NOTE: To have a successful enrollment with NY mID, you must have the following:

• Your ID document or driver’s license has been issued by NY DMV
• You are using your most recently-issued ID document or driver’s license by NY DMV, and it is currently valid
• Make sure there is no wear, damage, or scratch marks on either side of your ID
• Ensure the ID is placed on a dark flat surface and good lighting in the room

WHAT IS MOBILE ID? IS IT A VALID FORM OF IDENTIFICATION?

Mobile ID is a new form of digital identity that allows users to create a contactless, highly secure, state-approved personal credential that resides on their smartphone and can be used as a valid form of ID both in-person and online. The authenticity of a Mobile ID is ensured through verification with a state’s system of record (SOR), such as the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

HOW/WHERE CAN I USE MY MOBILE ID?

Mobile ID can be used anywhere its accepted, in any context a physical driver license or state-issued ID would be used to verify age or identity, including at various airport security checkpoints throughout the U.S. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) continues to integrate new technologies like the use of Mobile IDs at the checkpoint for TSA PreCheck® members. For more information on which locations accept Mobile ID and how the TSA is moving forward with digital initiatives, visit https://www.tsa.gov/digital-id.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MOBILE ID?

Mobile ID offers citizens and parties a convenient, contactless and highly secure method for verifying identity, while protecting personal information and privacy.

Mobile ID puts users in control of what information they share. For example, when making an age-restricted purchase, users can prove their age without disclosing any unnecessary information (like their address).

Mobile ID also offers a high level of assurance for verifiers. By creating a direct line of communication with consumers, Mobile ID allows the DMV to push updates to information such as an address change or status update, so verifiers can be confident the identity they are accepting is authentic and up to date.

HOW DO I KNOW THE MOBILE ID IS SECURE?

The Mobile ID app verifies your identity attributes and selfie photo against what is on file with the SOR. Only your Face ID, TouchID or six-digit pin will unlock the app and access your Mobile ID. For example, if your smartphone is lost or stolen, no one will be able to access your Mobile ID app. If you need to purchase or activate a different device, you can enroll for Mobile ID on that device, which will make your previous version obsolete.

WHAT DOES THE MOBILE ID APP DO WITH MY DATA?

Mobile ID doesn’t permanently collect, store or hold onto your personal data – except an encrypted version of your driver license number and phone number to use as a record locator. The only places your complete information is stored are on your phone and with the state system of record.

CAN I USE MY MOBILE ID WHEN A POLICE OFFICER ASKS FOR MY LICENSE OR ID?

Drivers still need to carry their physical driver license with them at all times to show during interactions with law enforcement. Soon, technology will be available for law enforcement to request permission to access your digital driver’s license from a dedicated law enforcement device. Your data will be securely transferred and the officer will view your license details on their own device.

WHAT HAPPENS IF MY SMARTPHONE IS LOST OR STOLEN?

If your smartphone is lost or stolen, no one will be able to access your Mobile ID. The use of a real-time selfie and your Touch ID or Face ID means only you can access the app.

COULD SOMEONE USE A PHOTO TO ACCESS MY MOBILE ID APP?

No. The mobile app has built in “liveness detection” technology to protect you from this type of identity theft. Once you open the app and take your selfie, you are prompted to hold your phone still and move your head to connect dots on the screen. These movements verify that you are you and not a photograph.

DOES MY MOBILE ID REPLACE THE PHYSICAL DRIVER’S LICENSE?

Once adopted by a state, the Mobile ID is considered an official state-issued ID, but it currently serves as a companion to your physical ID, rather than a replacement. You can use it in any context you would normally use your driver license or state-issued ID to verify your identity, but you should still keep your physical ID as a back-up.

HOW MUCH DOES THE MOBILE ID COST?

It depends on how your state decides to implement the program, but in many cases this is a FREE app/service provided to you by your state DMV.

WHY SHOULD MY BUSINESS ACCEPT MOBILE ID? HOW CAN I ENSURE WE ARE CONDUCTING SECURE TRANSACTIONS?

Mobile ID offers greater security, privacy, and convenience than a physical ID. It is a digital version of a person’s official state-issued driver license that is securely stored only on a user’s smartphone device. Setting up a Mobile ID requires a physical driver license or ID card and compares a user’s data and selfie image 1:1 to their official driver record at the DMV, building on that powerful in-person identity vetting process and increasing trust in the digital credential as an authoritative root identity record. Additionally, the Mobile ID is locked behind the mobile phone’s unique PIN, Touch ID or Face ID, so that if the device is lost or stolen, the ID is locked – unlike when a wallet is lost, and a physical ID could be used by someone else.

So many services are reliant on confirming the identity and/or the age of a customer. Mobile IDs can drive greater efficiency, while unlocking new business models underpinned by high-trust transactions.

Protect your business by minimizing the risks of accepting a fake or expired ID with verification through the free Mobile ID Verify App, available in the Apple App Store and Google Play.

WHAT’S INVOLVED IN SETTING UP THE MOBILE ID ON MY PHONE?

Follow these simple instructions for setting up your Mobile ID:

Download the Mobile ID app.
Select the verification link sent to you in a text message.
Using the app, take a picture of the front of your driver’s license or state ID.
Flip the physical ID over and take a picture of the back of it.
Using the phone, take a selfie to verify that you match the photo on record at the DMV.
Finish Mobile ID registration by authorizing the DMV to verify your data through the app

WHO CREATED THIS APP?

IDEMIA developed the app, and state DMVs partner with IDEMIA to provide this service to all residents with a smartphone.

WHO IS IDEMIA?

IDEMIA, the global leader in Augmented Identity, provides a trusted environment enabling citizens and consumers alike to perform their daily critical activities (such as pay, connect and travel), in the physical as well as digital space.

Securing our identity has become mission critical in the world we live in today. By standing for Augmented Identity, an identity that ensures privacy and trust and guarantees secure, authenticated and verifiable transactions, we reinvent the way we think, produce, use and protect one of our greatest assets – our identity – whether for individuals or for objects, whenever and wherever security matters. We provide Augmented Identity for international clients from Financial, Telecom, Identity, Public Security and IoT sectors. With 13,000 employees around the world, IDEMIA serves clients in 180 countries.

For more information, visit www.idemia.com or follow @IDEMIAGroup on Twitter.

WHAT DOES IDEMIA DO WITH CONSUMERS’ DATA?

IDEMIA doesn’t collect, store, or hold onto personal data – except an encrypted (scrambled) version of driver’s license number and phone number to use as a record locator. A complete set of personal information is only stored at the DMV, and in encrypted form on your phone – until YOU choose to share it.

For more information, read our Privacy Statement.

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?

See our Email and Live Chat support options on our Mobile ID Help page.

NA.IDEMIA.COM