North Carolina Details December Launch for NC Wallet Mobile ID

North Carolina is preparing to launch a free, optional mobile driver’s license and state ID through its NC Wallet app in December, with support for major device wallets expected in early 2027.

The digital credential will be available to residents who hold a valid North Carolina driver’s license or identification card. Enrollment will require the user to scan the physical credential and take a selfie, which will be compared with the photograph in Division of Motor Vehicles records.

Once issued, the mobile ID can be presented without handing over the phone. The state says users will be able to approve the release of requested information and, in supported transactions, disclose only a limited fact such as confirmation that they are at least 21 rather than showing a full date of birth or address.

The credential will initially work at North Carolina DMV locations and more than 250 Transportation Security Administration checkpoints. That includes Charlotte Douglas International Airport and Raleigh-Durham International Airport, where travelers can present a supported mobile ID during identity screening.

Apple Wallet, Google Wallet and Samsung Wallet support is scheduled to follow in early 2027. The state’s own NC Wallet will provide the first distribution channel. The credential will become available through the three large mobile wallet platforms in the following phase.

The new schedule replaces an earlier plan to introduce a secure North Carolina mobile license by mid-2025. The updated program page now provides operational details about selfie enrollment, selective disclosure, TSA use and law enforcement presentation.

North Carolina joins a growing group of states offering phone-based credentials. Illinois recently launched mobile licenses and state IDs in Apple Wallet, while Alabama lawmakers have advanced an optional digital driver’s license delivered through an approved app.

The NC credential will be legally equivalent to a physical license or state ID within North Carolina, but participation is voluntary. State guidance tells residents to continue carrying the physical card because organizations outside participating locations may not yet accept a mobile presentation.

During a traffic stop, the driver can keep possession of the device while presenting the credential for verification. The program combines that presentation model with selective disclosure and a biometric enrollment check tied to existing DMV records.

Sources: North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles, Country 103.7

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By the ID Tech Editorial Team