Florida’s digital ID, officially called Florida Smart ID, is a mobile version of your driver license or state ID card that lives on your smartphone. It’s authorized under Florida Statute 322.032 and managed by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), but the app was pulled from the App Store and Google Play in July 2024, and a replacement has not yet launched. If you’re trying to enroll today, you can’t. When the new version arrives, the same statutory rules will apply: you’ll need a valid physical Florida license first, you’ll present the credential through a scanned QR code rather than a screen photo, and you’ll still need to carry your printed card.
Is the App Available Right Now
No. The FLHSMV removed the Florida Smart ID app from both major app stores in July 2024 and instructed existing users to delete it from their devices. The agency said it would select a new vendor and release an improved version, initially targeting early 2025, but as of this writing no replacement app has launched. If you previously had the Florida Smart ID installed, your digital credential no longer works.
The legal framework hasn’t gone anywhere. Florida Statute 322.032 still authorizes the FLHSMV to run a digital credentialing system, so the rules below will govern the relaunched app when it appears.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 322.032 – Digital Proof of Driver License or Identification Card Check flhsmv.gov for launch updates.
Who Can Get a Florida Digital ID
You must already hold a valid, printed Florida driver license or ID card before you can obtain the digital version.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 322.032 – Digital Proof of Driver License or Identification Card The digital credential is a supplement to the physical card, not a substitute you can obtain on its own. You also need a compatible smartphone and an email address for account setup.
When the original app was live, enrollment ran through four steps:
- Download the app and create an account tied to your email.
- Scan the front and back of your physical license or ID card so the app can extract and authenticate the data.
- Complete a facial verification step matching a live selfie to the photo on file with the FLHSMV.
- Set a PIN and, optionally, enable fingerprint or face unlock.
The replacement app will likely follow a similar flow because the statute requires the FLHSMV to verify your identity and confirm a valid printed credential before issuing the digital one. The original app was free.
How You Show the Digital ID to Someone
The Florida Smart ID is not a picture of your license saved on your phone. The system generates a QR code that the verifier scans with a separate Florida Smart ID Verifier app or a compatible reader, and your credential data is pulled from an FLHSMV server in real time. That digital handshake is what makes it a genuine credential rather than something anyone could screenshot.
Because the data comes from the FLHSMV database each time you present the ID, the information is always current.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 322.032 – Digital Proof of Driver License or Identification Card If your license status changes, say a suspension, the digital credential reflects that the next time it’s scanned. A printed card can’t do that.
Privacy Rules Built Into the System
A physical license hands over everything at once: name, address, date of birth, license number. The digital system can share only the piece of information a given transaction actually needs. Florida law authorizes “limited profiles” that reveal only what’s necessary for a specific interaction.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 322.032 – Digital Proof of Driver License or Identification Card At a bar, the scan can confirm you’re over 21 without exposing your home address.
The statute also bars the electronic credentialing system from retaining your IP address, geolocation, or other tracking information about when and where you used it.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 322.032 – Digital Proof of Driver License or Identification Card Verifiers who scan your ID are prohibited from storing or sharing the data beyond what the transaction requires, and violations carry potential penalties under Florida law. These state protections sit on top of the federal baseline for mobile driver licenses, which itself emphasizes data minimization and user consent.2Federal Register. Minimum Standards for Drivers Licenses and Identification Cards Acceptable by Federal Agencies for Official Purposes; Waiver for Mobile Drivers Licenses
Where the Florida Digital ID Is Accepted
The credential was built for two main uses: identity verification by law enforcement and age verification at participating retailers. In practice, acceptance was uneven when the app was live. Many officers didn’t have the verifier tool, and few businesses had signed on. The statute allows the digital ID anywhere a printed license would be accepted, but acceptance depends entirely on the other party having the right scanning technology. Even after the relaunch, don’t assume every officer, clerk, or doorman can read it.
At the Airport
The TSA accepts digital IDs from participating states at more than 250 airports through Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet, and state-issued apps.3Transportation Security Administration. Digital Identity and Facial Comparison Technology Florida is not on the TSA’s list of participating states.4Transportation Security Administration. Participating States and Eligible Digital IDs You cannot use the Florida Smart ID at a TSA checkpoint, and that will remain true after the app relaunches unless the TSA adds Florida to its approved list. For flights, bring your physical license. REAL ID enforcement began on May 7, 2025, so the card needs to be REAL ID-compliant (marked with a gold star in the upper-right corner) to clear screening.5Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID
At Banks and Financial Institutions
Federal financial regulators haven’t issued guidance approving mobile driver licenses for opening bank accounts or other identity verification tied to anti-money-laundering rules. Some in the industry have argued that if the TSA accepts digital IDs, banks should be able to as well, but that’s an open debate rather than a rule. Don’t plan on using a Florida Smart ID for banking that requires formal identity verification.
You Still Need Your Physical Card
Florida law lets you present the digital credential in place of your printed license during a traffic stop; the statute says a licensee “may present or submit a digital proof of driver license” instead of the printed card. There’s a condition attached: if the officer cannot immediately verify the digital credential, you must produce your printed license on demand.6The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 322.15 – License to Be Carried and Exhibited on Demand
With many officers lacking scanning tools and the app itself currently offline, the printed card isn’t optional. Treat the digital ID as a backup even after the relaunch. A dead battery, a weak cell signal, or an officer without the verifier app can all leave you stuck if the physical card is sitting at home.
If Your Phone Is Lost or Stolen
The digital credential is locked behind the PIN or biometric you set during enrollment, so a stranger who picks up your phone can’t just open the app and use it. Because the FLHSMV system verifies records in real time on every presentation, a deactivated credential won’t validate even if someone gets past the lock screen.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 322.032 – Digital Proof of Driver License or Identification Card
Contact the FLHSMV to deactivate the credential, and use your phone’s remote wipe feature (Find My iPhone or Find My Device) to erase the device. The digital ID pulls from the FLHSMV server rather than storing a complete copy of your record on the phone, so remote deactivation cuts off access at the source.