Montana Highway Patrol announced that troopers will begin accepting Montana Mobile IDs and other mobile IDs from across the country during routine traffic stops. The change allows drivers who use digital credentials to present a mobile driver’s license in addition to their physical card when interacting with law enforcement.
A mobile driver’s license is a digital version of a physical ID stored on a smartphone. The state said troopers will use state-issued iPhones to read mobile IDs, bringing digital identity checks into roadside enforcement scenarios that have traditionally relied on physical cards.
Under the program, troopers cannot request a mobile ID; drivers decide whether to present it. Montana drivers must still legally carry a physical ID as a backup, and the mobile credential is an optional way to share license information during a traffic stop rather than a replacement for the plastic card. The state emphasized that drivers remain in control of whether to use the mobile credential.
Montana officials said, “When presenting a Montana Mobile ID, Apple or Google and the state-issuing authority do not know when or to whom a user presents their driver license or state ID.”
State adoption has accelerated in recent months, including Illinois launching mobile driver’s licenses in Apple Wallet and an Alabama bill to authorize optional mobile driver’s licenses and digital state IDs. Standards work is also advancing, including a new ISO/IEC standard enabling remote identity verification via mDLs.
The Highway Patrol will accept mobile IDs from other states as well, reflecting the growing number of jurisdictions that support digital credentials. Fifteen states and Puerto Rico currently support digital IDs in Apple Wallet: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Additional states are expected to add support in 2026, including Connecticut, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Utah, and Arkansas. As more states enable mobile credentials, interstate acceptance becomes a key factor for everyday use cases like traffic stops.
Montana’s move represents a significant expansion of where mobile IDs can be used beyond TSA airport checkpoints. Law enforcement acceptance is widely viewed as a critical milestone for mainstream adoption of mobile driver’s licenses, since traffic stops are one of the most common situations where residents present identification.
Sources: Montana Public Radio
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By Ji-seo Kim
