Get Mobile ID Before You Go Out For a Guinness

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles wants New Yorkers to know that verifying your age with Mobile ID is as smooth as the famous Guinness Irish stout. Whether ordering a pint or running a business that wants to guard against serving underage customers, the New York Mobile ID is a secure way to verify a person’s age and identity.  

“St. Patrick’s Day is a fun holiday when so many New Yorkers go out for a pint of green beer or a glass of Irish whiskey. Unfortunately, it’s also a time when many underage consumers try to pass fake IDs,” said DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder. “There is no way to fake a Mobile ID, making it the most secure way to verify age during alcohol sales. And for the consumer, Mobile ID is simple, contactless, and easy to keep track of right on your phone.”  

Businesses can accept the New York Mobile ID (MiD) during alcohol sales after the New York State Liquor Authority issued an advisory on October 30 declaring Mobile ID as an approved form of age and identity verification. Businesses can become MiD verifiers by downloading a free or paid verifier app to any smartphone or tablet. Visit the DMV webpage on Mobile ID for businesses and organizations to learn more.

Business owners celebrate Mobile ID because:  

• The app provides real-time verification that the MiD is authentic and was issued by the NYS DMV, meaning businesses can feel confident that their customers are who they say they are.
• The MiD app displays a customer’s information in an easy-to-read format rather than requiring a verifier to look for security features on a physical ID card.
• Mobile ID can be incorporated into an existing point-of-sale system.  
• Mobile ID does not require an internet connection. ID checks occur over an encrypted Bluetooth connection.

Customers celebrate Mobile ID because:  

• Mobile ID does not require a phone handoff. ID checks are done by scanning a QR code with a device equipped with MiD verification technology.  
• Mobile ID verification only happens when the user consents to sharing their personal information.  
• If the MiD holder loses their phone, no one will be able to access their Mobile ID. Opening the app requires a personal six-digit code, face ID or a fingerprint match.  
• The state does not track Mobile ID use.  

Visit our page on Mobile ID for license, permit and ID holders to learn more.  

Anyone with a valid New York State-issued driver license, learner permit, or non-driver ID can download the secure Mobile ID app on their Android or iOS device through Google Play or the App Store. More than 200,000 New Yorkers have already enrolled since the app launched in June. New York is one of more than a dozen states that offer a mobile ID.  

As the number of Mobile ID users grows, the number of places where Mobile ID can be used continues to expand. Through a partnership with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), New York’s MiD is accepted at TSA security checkpoints at more than 100 airports across the country and at eleven airports in New York State, including all terminals at LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy, Albany, Buffalo, Syracuse Hancock, and Stewart International airports.

Read our recent press release busting some common Mobile ID myths.