Mobile driver's licenses & digital ID with VCALM

Q: How is a mobile driver's license (mDL) issued and verified?

The DMV signs the license as a W3C Verifiable Credential and delivers it to the resident's wallet of choice over VCALM (the VC API). A relying party verifies it cryptographically in person or online — no callbacks to the DMV — and the resident approves each share with one tap.

Q: Can a digital ID prove age without revealing a birthdate?

Yes. With selective disclosure, a resident can prove a single fact — such as 'over 21' or 'license valid' — without revealing name, address, or birthdate. Only the field requested is shared.

Q: Does a mobile driver's license lock residents to a government app?

Not with VCALM. The license works with any conformant wallet, so residents keep their choice of app. The OpenID/mdoc approach often pairs with wallet attestation and allow-lists, which let the state decide which apps are accepted.

Issue mobile driver's licenses and digital IDs that residents truly control — verifiable in person or online, with the wallet of their choice, and without locking citizens to a government-approved app.

To issue a mobile driver's license, a DMV signs it as a W3C Verifiable Credential and delivers it to the resident's wallet of choice over VCALM (the VC API). A relying party verifies it cryptographically — in person or online — and with selective disclosure the resident can prove one fact, like "over 21," without revealing name, address, or birthdate.

DMV issues a mobile license

Resident picks their own wallet -- no state-mandated app
Resident holds and controls it

Nothing shared without one-tap, explicit consent
Proves one fact

Over 21 -- no name, address, or birthdate revealed

What it feels like to use

The technology is invisible by design. Here's what each person actually does — and what they no longer have to.

The DMV issues a mobile license

A resident requests their mobile driver's license from the DMV portal or app. They authenticate once, pick the wallet they already use, and the license lands in it — alongside their existing physical card.

No state-mandated app. Their wallet, their choice.
The resident holds and controls it

The license lives on their phone, under their control. Nothing is shared automatically — every presentation needs an explicit, one-time approval the resident sees and consents to.

The state can't watch where it's used.
They prove just one thing, when needed

At a bar, the resident taps to prove "over 21" — and reveals nothing else. No name, no address, no birthdate. At an airport or a website, they share exactly the fields asked for, and no more.

Selective disclosure: minimum data, every time.

What the resident experiences

Their choice of wallet. Not a single government-approved app.
Prove a fact, not your identity. "Over 21" without your birthdate.
One-tap consent. Nothing leaves the phone without approval.
No tracking. The state doesn't see each place it's used.

What the agency experiences

Privacy by design. Data minimization is built into every request.
Instant, tamper-evident checks. No call-backs to the DMV.
No vendor or wallet lock-in. Works with every conformant wallet.
Standards-based. Built on open W3C Verifiable Credentials.

How it works

One diagram, three actors, one loop.

     DMV                   RESIDENT              RELYING PARTY
  (issuer)             (wallet of choice)         (verifier)
     |                      |                          |
     | -- delivers -->      |                          |
     |  mobile license VC   |                          |
     |                      | <-- asks for --           |
     |                      |   proof of age / validity |
     |                      | -- presents -->           |
     |                      |   only what's needed      |
     |                      |                     verifies (ok)

A mobile license is signed JSON the resident holds and controls.
Delivery (DMV → resident) and presentation (resident → verifier) are the same simple exchange loop: POST, read what the server wants, POST back.
With selective disclosure, the resident can prove a single fact — "over 21," "license valid" — without revealing name, address, or birthdate.

A good fit if…

You issue identity or entitlement credentials to the public.
You want residents to choose their own wallet, not an approved list.
You need selective disclosure — prove a fact without revealing everything.

Start building

Common questions

Can a digital ID prove age without revealing a birthdate?

Yes. With selective disclosure, a resident proves a single fact — "over 21," "license valid" — without revealing name, address, or birthdate.

Does a mobile driver's license lock residents to a government app?

Not with VCALM — the license works with any conformant wallet. The OpenID/mdoc approach often pairs with attestation and allow-lists that let the state decide which apps are accepted.

Is a VCALM mobile driver's license private?

Yes. Data minimization is built into every request, nothing is shared without one-tap consent, and the state can't see where it's used.

Why VCALM vs. OID4?

The OID4VCI / OID4VP, mdoc-centric approach often pairs with wallet "attestation" and allow-lists — which means the DMV has to certify, and build and maintain an integration for, every wallet it wants to support. With VCALM, you issue once to an open standard and any conformant wallet works, so there's no per-wallet integration to own. See the full comparison.