Montana Highway Patrol to begin accepting Montana Mobile IDs

BOULDER – The Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) announced today troopers will begin accepting Montana Mobile IDs and other mobile IDs from across the country during routine traffic stops. This provides motorists with more choice, offering them another easy, secure, and private way to present a driver license. Montanans are not required to have a Montana Mobile ID and will always be able to continue using a physical driver license for verification.

The announcement follows the Montana Motor Vehicle Division’s (MVD) launch of Montana Mobile IDs last year, which allow Montanans to carry a digital version of their driver license or state-issued ID securely on their iPhone, Apple Watch, and Android devices. MHP is currently the only law enforcement agency in the state accepting Montana Mobile IDs and other mobile IDs through a smartphone application called SmartMobile, which is installed on the trooper’s state-issued iPhone to function as the mobile ID reader. MVD always recommends carrying an acceptable and compliant physical ID for verification while mobile acceptance continues to expand across law enforcement agencies in Montana.

“We are pleased to introduce the ability for the Montana Highway Patrol to accept mobile IDs,” MHP Colonel Kurt Sager said. “This new technology provides a secure and convenient way for drivers to carry and present their identification. The option will streamline traffic stops for our troopers and the public.”

“We are excited to partner with the Montana Highway Patrol and work with them to seamlessly and privately accept Montana Mobile IDs and other states’ mobile IDs,” MVD Administrator Laurie Bakri said. “At the Motor Vehicle Division, we are committed to providing the best customer service possible as we move into the future.”

To present a mobile ID, users will need to first let the trooper know they’d like to use one. Troopers may not request a mobile ID directly, and Montanans will always have the option to present a physical driver license or state ID. Users can present their mobile ID by holding their device near the trooper’s mobile ID reader or they can present a QR code. Users will never be required to hand over their device to law enforcement.

Users will be able to review the requested information before it’s shared with the trooper, and after reviewing, they can consent to present the requested information by authenticating with their biometrics. Montanans who choose to present a mobile ID during a traffic stop share the same information as when presenting a physical driver license for verification. No additional data or checks are collected.

The SmartMobile application provided by Smart COP, Inc., the company who provides MHP’s computer-aided dispatch (CAD) program, ensures the information is securely sent to the MHP system and verified just as if the motorist used a physical ID. Smart COP does not store any of the data.

When presenting a Montana Mobile ID, Apple or Google and the state-issuing authority do not know when or to whom a user presents their driver license or state ID. A user’s presentment history is encrypted and stored only on the users’ device, and neither Apple, Google nor the state-issuing authority can see or access this information.

Montanans can add and use their license to their digital wallet in a few easy steps. When adding an ID to a digital wallet, MVD only receives the information it needs to approve or deny the request.