Mississippi unveils mobile ID program -- an app for phones

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi is unveiling a new app that’s designed to store someone’s driver license on their phone.

The app is being billed as a safe and effective way to make sure your ID is always on you, WLOX-TV reported.

However, state officials say people will still need a physical driver license to show if requested when they are stopped by law enforcement. Another exception listed on the program’s website is boarding an airplane.

Still, there’s a “growing list” of businesses and state agencies that accept the Mississippi Mobile ID, state officials said.

“Vendors can accept the Mobile ID with confidence, as information on the digital ID can be verified against what is on file with the Department of Public Safety and will always be accurate and up-to-date,” the program’s website states.

Residents’ information is secure and can only be accessed with their fingerprint or face ID, officials with the Department of Public Safety said.

“One less thing for me to carry and lose,” Mike Davis told WLOX.

Mississippi Mobile ID is voluntary, and residents may continue relying on their physical ID.

Some residents interviewed by the TV station prefer to continue relying on their physical ID.

“At the end of the day, we already have so much of our personal data on our phones anyway that I think that we kind of need to keep a little bit off of our phones,” said Nick Fain of Ocean Springs. Fain said he prefers the physical card he keeps in his wallet.

More information about the program is available at https://www.driverservicebureau.dps.ms.gov/mobile-id/