Georgia Approves Mobile Driver’s Licenses for Age-Restricted Purchases at Participating Retailers

The Georgia Department of Driver Services said smartphone-based licenses can serve as valid ID when buying age-restricted items at stores that choose to accept them. These licenses, issued by the state and kept on phones, work for verifying age during alcohol and tobacco transactions.

Officials at the Georgia Department of Revenue Alcohol and Tobacco Division confirmed these smartphone licenses meet legal standards. Still, each business decides whether to accept them.

The phone-based version supplements physical IDs but doesn't replace them. Motorists must keep their physical licenses with them while driving. State law mandates that anyone operating a vehicle must have the traditional card in hand, and police officers can demand to see it.

"By embracing the Georgia Digital License and ID, we're providing Georgians with a secure, convenient new option to prove their age, one that keeps pace with 21st-century technology while still prioritizing accuracy and safety," DDS Commissioner Angelique B. McClendon said in a statement, according to WTOC.

Data on the phone version matches what appears on the plastic card. Officials describe the approach as a way to keep of with the advancements of technology as well as a protected method for confirming identity.