The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles plans to launch a statewide mobile driver’s license program by the end of 2026 or early 2027 through a new N.C. Wallet application. According to a press release from the N.C. Department of Transporation, residents can carry a version of their driver’s license or state identification card on their phones. No fees will apply.
The mobile credentials will be optional. Physical licenses will stay available for residents who prefer them. To get a mobile ID, users will download the app, scan their physical license, and take a selfie. DMV will compare that selfie with its records before issuing the credential.
Law enforcement agencies aren’t expected to start accepting mobile IDs until later in 2027. DMV must work with agencies to figure out verification methods. Bars, restaurants, and other businesses that need to verify identity or age face the same process.
Under state law, a mobile driver’s license equals a physical license. The General Assembly authorized DMV to issue mobile licenses in 2024, with that authority taking effect July 1, 2025.
The mobile ID must be verified electronically by compatible technology through a tap or QR code. Users will see what information is being requested before deciding whether to share it. This lets them provide only what’s needed for a transaction.
DMV communications manager Marty Homan told the Carolina Journal that the agency cannot track when or where residents use their mobile ID. “When you present your mobile ID, it does not ‘phone home’ to NCDMV or create a record for NCDMV showing where you used it,” said Homan.
Jeanette Doran, senior legal counsel at the John Locke Foundation, said lawmakers should consider independent oversight. “Before North Carolinians trust their driver’s license to an app, the legislature should be asking who audits that system, what happens if the design changes, and what recourse citizens have if it doesn’t work as promised,” said Doran to the Carolina Journal.
An August 2025 performance audit found DMV wasn’t operationally prepared to issue mobile licenses when its authority took effect. Agency planning documents at the time projected a full launch by Sept. 30, 2026. That timeline won’t be met.
The audit estimated the program would cost between $750,000 and $1.4 million to implement, with an additional $275,000 to $600,000 each year for staffing and maintenance. DMV has described the wallet as a platform that could hold additional government-issued credentials and connect residents with other state services.