(FRANKFORT, Ky.) — Kentucky residents can now access a digital version of their driver’s license or state ID through a new smartphone app that’s accepted at more than 250 airports nationwide, state officials announced Tuesday.
The Kentucky Mobile ID app provides a secure, encrypted digital credential that can be used at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints and select businesses. The technology allows users to control what personal information they share during verification, a feature designed to enhance privacy protection.
“Everything’s in your phone; now your ID can be too,” said Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Secretary Jim Gray. “A digital ID serves as an addition to a physical ID, allowing Kentuckians convenience when proving their identity.”
The app stores a validated copy of a user’s Kentucky driver’s license, permit or ID card on their smartphone, protected by the device’s existing security features such as PIN codes or biometric authentication. If a phone is lost or stolen, the digital ID remains locked, unlike a physical card that could potentially be misused.
Kentucky joins 18 other states and Puerto Rico in offering the IDEMIA Mobile ID platform. The digital credentials are currently accepted at major Kentucky airports, including Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport, Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Barkley Regional Airport in Paducah, and Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville.
Important Limitations
State officials emphasized that the mobile ID does not replace physical identification cards, which residents must continue to carry. Kentucky law requires drivers to present a physical license during traffic stops or crash investigations. Additionally, not all businesses and state agencies accept mobile IDs.
The app supports both standard driver’s licenses and REAL ID-compliant credentials. Federal REAL ID requirements, which took effect in May 2025, mandate approved identification for domestic commercial flights and military base entry.
How It Works
To obtain a Kentucky Mobile ID, residents download the app from the App Store or Google Play, register their phone number, photograph their physical ID, and take a verification selfie. The app cross-references submitted information with Transportation Cabinet records to authenticate the user’s identity.
For businesses, a free companion “Mobile ID Verify App” enables identity verification through encrypted Bluetooth communication. Merchants can request specific information, which users can approve or deny. An additional alert notifies users if a business requests to temporarily store their data.
The mobile ID launch represents the first phase of Kentucky’s broader digital licensing initiative. State officials plan to introduce compatibility with digital wallet platforms from Apple, Google and Samsung following completion of the driver licensing system modernization scheduled for summer 2026.
More information is available at drive.ky.gov/mobile-id.
