As increasing numbers of Virginians download the Mobile ID app, options for using digital identification around Arlington remain somewhat limited.
The app that launched in November has already surpassed 100,000 users, the Virginia DMV announced last Friday. In Arlington, it’s useful at a handful of locations.
Virginians with the app can use it at all DMV customer service centers and many airport security checkpoints (including at Reagan National Airport and Dulles Airport), as well as at one liquor store in Arlington: the Virginia ABC at 881 N. Quincy Street in Ballston.
At this point, however, it’s not a substitute for a driver’s license in Arlington.
While Virginia State Police and the neighboring Falls Church Police Department accept the mobile app, the Arlington County Police Department does not.
“The Arlington County Police Department is not currently participating in the pilot to accept Virginia Mobile ID,” ACPD spokesperson Ashley Savage told ARLnow. “As roll out of the new technology in Virginia continues, ACPD will explore the use and implementation of Virginia Mobile ID.”
The app is available for iPhone and Android for Virginians with a valid driver’s license or state ID. Customers are encouraged to continue carrying their physical ID card as a backup, especially when driving, although the DMV plans to introduce digital wallet options in the coming months.
“Reaching 100,000 users shows that Virginians are embracing a more convenient way to carry their ID,” DMV Commissioner Gerald F. Lackey said in a press release. “Virginia Mobile ID gives people a simple, secure way to confirm who they are as they travel, visit businesses, or access DMV services. It’s one more way DMV is always driving forward to make everyday interactions easier for Virginians.”
Photo via Jonas Leupe/Unsplash
