(LEX 18) — Kentuckians can now download a secure digital version of their driver's license or state ID through a free mobile app that's accepted for air travel at more than 250 airports nationwide.
Gov. Andy Beshear announced Tuesday that Kentucky Mobile ID is now available, joining 18 other states and Puerto Rico in offering the digital identification technology developed by IDEMIA.
"Mobile ID offers Kentuckians more options for air travel, while further protecting them from identity theft or having their private information shared," Beshear said. "We want our families to be safe and feel safe while they are traveling, and this is just another step Team Kentucky is taking to increase safety for our people."
According to a release, the app stores a digital version of a Kentucky driver's license, permit, or ID card on smartphones, secured behind the device's PIN, Touch ID, or Face ID. If a phone is lost or stolen, the digital ID remains locked, unlike a physical ID in a wallet that could be used by someone else.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Secretary Jim Gray said the digital ID allows users to control their privacy by sharing only necessary information during transactions.
"One of the biggest benefits is letting cardholders limit showing only necessary personal information during a transaction or service, like withholding your address when proving your age to buy restricted items," Gray said.
According to a release, the mobile ID is accepted at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints at most U.S. airports, including Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport in Covington, Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Barkley Regional Airport in Paducah, and Louisville's Muhammad Ali International Airport.
However, the release states that the digital ID does not replace physical identification, which must still be carried at all times. State law requires law enforcement to request physical licenses during traffic stops or crash responses. Not all Kentucky businesses or state agencies may accept mobile IDs.
To obtain a Kentucky Mobile ID, users must download the app from the App Store or Google Play, register their phone number, photograph their physical ID, take a live selfie, and wait for verification against Transportation Cabinet records. Each mobile ID can exist on only one device at a time for security reasons, the release reads.
The release states that merchants can verify mobile IDs using a free "Mobile ID Verify App" that communicates with users' phones via Bluetooth with end-to-end encryption. Users can accept or reject information requests and receive alerts if merchants want to temporarily store their data.
Kentuckians who register with a standard driver's license but later receive REAL ID approval will see their upgraded status reflected in the app within days, before their physical card arrives by mail, according to a release.
The mobile ID launch represents the first step before Kentucky introduces other digital wallet options from Apple, Google, and Samsung. Those additional features will become available after the state completes modernization of its driver licensing system in summer 2026.
