Will North Dakota Switch To Digital Driver’s Licenses?

In 2025 almost everything has switched to digital/paperless. As each day passes, we get more and more dependent on technology. Some see this as a concern while others say this is just a sign of an evolving society.

Several states in the country are switching to digital driver's licenses --sounds like something out of 2050, right?

This technology has been around for years, but only recently started gaining traction in North Dakota.

According to the Grand Forks Herald, in 2021, the North Dakota Legislature (House Bill 1072)  greenlit the use of digital driver's licenses.

The source says that the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) is working with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to schedule the acceptance of these mobile driver's licenses.

As of right now, according to Forbes.com, Hawaii, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, California, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Georgia, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, West Virginia, Utah, and Virginia all have TSA approved digital IDs.

Once they are approved as a valid credential in North Dakota, these mobile IDs will become available to drivers and residents of the state.

The Herald says it will likely take time for North Dakota establishments to get on board and/or have the tools to accept this as a valid form of identification. For example, the source says that alcohol-serving establishments will need a verifier app to accept the digital IDs once they are in use. Verifier apps will scan and read the mobile ID, then confirm that it is a legal ID presented by the correct individual according to the North Dakota licensing system.

These mobile IDs won't replace plastic ones overnight, but they will come in handy for North Dakota travelers.

The source says the mobile IDs can be obtained with a $5 fee at time of license renewal. Digital IDs could roll out in North Dakota as early as this Fall.