Iowa Mobile ID is now available on Samsung Smart Wallet

Iowa Department of Transportation announced that the Iowa Mobile ID system will now be available on Samsung Smart Wallet on all Samsung Galaxy devices running Android 12.0 or above.

“You can use your Iowa Mobile ID in Samsung Wallet at participating Travel Security Agency checkpoints including the Des Moines and Eastern Iowa airports,” a DOT news release said. The news release clarifies that the Iowa Mobile ID does not replace a physical driver’s license.

More: Iowa Mobile ID is available for smartphones: Does it replace your driver’s license?

The Iowa Mobile ID program was started in October 2023 in partnership with IDEMIA, a French technology and security firm. It offered TSA checkpoints and all enrolled businesses an alternative to physical identification for age or identity verification.

At that time, it was an app available for download on the Google Play store and the Apple app store. Along with the new Samsung Wallet option, they can be used for age verification for the purchase of products like tobacco and alcohol at 37 locations around Iowa as well as at select TSA checkpoints.

While police departments can accept Iowa Mobile ID in traffic stops, emerging technology program manager Toni Smith said in an email that it is entirely up to individual departments. For this reason, drivers should still carry their physical license with them.

A full list of enrolled businesses, as well as more detailed information, can be found at iowadot.gov/mvd/MID-ID-Holders. Enrolled businesses can also be identified by the presence of an Iowa Mobile ID logo on their door, though there is no requirement to display one.

According to the news release, since its launch in late October, 32,000 Iowans have downloaded the Iowa Mobile ID app. Smith said the Iowa DOT is working to add Iowa Mobile ID to other digital wallets like Apple and Google but couldn’t say when those options may become available.