To help prevent identity theft and deliver modern licensing services, Kentuckians can download Kentucky Mobile ID, a secure digital version of a standard or REAL ID driver’s license or ID accepted for air travel at more than 250 airports.

The app is used at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints to verify a user’s identity and helps protect privacy by sharing only the information needed. The app does not replace a physical ID or driver's license, which should still be carried at all times.

“Mobile ID offers Kentuckians more options for air travel, while further protecting them from identity theft or having their private information shared,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in introducing the app. “We want our families to be safe and feel safe while they are traveling, and this is just another step Team Kentucky is taking to increase safety for our people.”

A Kentucky Mobile ID is stored on the user’s smartphone as a valid form of ID locked behind a mobile phone’s unique PIN, Touch ID or Face ID, so that, if the device is lost or stolen, the ID is locked – unlike a physical ID in a lost or stolen wallet that could be used by someone else. The authenticity of the Mobile ID is ensured through verification with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), based on records created when a user applies for a driver’s license or state ID.

Eighteen other states and Puerto Rico offer IDEMIA’s Mobile ID app. Those states are Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.

“Everything’s in your phone; now your ID can be too,” said Transportation Secretary Jim Gray. “A digital ID serves as an addition to a physical ID, allowing Kentuckians convenience when proving their identity. One of the biggest benefits is letting cardholders limit showing only necessary personal information during a transaction or service, like withholding your address when proving your age to buy restricted items.”