The Florida digital ID is not currently available to download. The state pulled the Florida Smart ID app from the Apple App Store and Google Play in July 2024 and asked existing users to delete it, while the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) works with a new vendor on a replacement. The legal framework authorizing a mobile version of your Florida driver license or ID card is still fully in place, so when the new app launches the same rules will apply.
Why You Can’t Download It Right Now
The FLHSMV removed the Florida Smart ID app in July 2024 and told users to delete it from their devices. The agency said it would select a new vendor and release an improved version, initially aiming for early 2025. As of this writing, no replacement has publicly launched. If you used the old app, your digital credential no longer functions.
The authorizing statute, Florida Statute 322.032, still gives the FLHSMV authority to operate a digital credentialing system.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 322.032 – Digital Proof of Driver License or Identification Card Check flhsmv.gov for current announcements before you spend time searching the app stores.
Who Will Be Eligible
Florida law sets a clear threshold: you cannot get a digital credential unless you already hold a valid, printed Florida driver license or ID card.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 322.032 – Digital Proof of Driver License or Identification Card The digital version is an optional supplement, not a standalone ID you can obtain on its own.
You will also need a compatible smartphone and a working email address. The original app ran on both iPhone and Android and was free.
How Enrollment Worked, and Likely Will Again
The replacement app will probably follow the same general process the original used, since the statute requires the FLHSMV to confirm your identity and verify a valid printed credential before issuing a digital one. Under the old app:
- You downloaded the app and created an account tied to your email.
- The app had you scan the front and back of your physical license or ID to pull and authenticate the data.
- A facial verification step matched a live selfie against the photo already on file with the FLHSMV.
- You set a PIN and could enable fingerprint or face unlock to protect the credential.
How the Digital ID Is Presented
The Florida digital ID is not a photo of your license on your phone. The system generates a QR code that a verifier scans, and the credential data is pulled from an FLHSMV server in real time. That digital handshake is what distinguishes it from a screenshot anyone could fake.
When you present it, you start the sharing process in your app. The verifier (a police officer, a store clerk, another authorized party) uses a separate Florida Smart ID Verifier app or a compatible reader to scan the code. Because the statute requires the system to display or transmit current records each time the credential is presented, the information shown is always current.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 322.032 – Digital Proof of Driver License or Identification Card If your license were suspended, the digital credential would reflect that the next time it was scanned.
Where It’s Accepted (and Where It Isn’t)
The statute lets you use the digital credential in any situation where a printed license or ID would normally be required, but acceptance depends on the verifier having the right technology. Adoption was uneven while the old app was live. Many law enforcement officers lacked the verifier app or scanning equipment, and relatively few businesses had signed on. Even once the replacement launches, don’t assume every officer, clerk, or bouncer will be equipped to scan it.
Air Travel
The TSA accepts digital IDs from participating states at more than 250 airports through Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet, and state-issued apps.2Transportation Security Administration. Digital Identity and Facial Comparison Technology Florida is not on the TSA’s list of participating states as of this writing.3Transportation Security Administration. Participating States and Eligible Digital IDs You cannot use the Florida digital ID at a TSA checkpoint, even after the replacement app launches, unless the TSA later adds Florida.
For flights, bring your physical card. REAL ID enforcement began May 7, 2025, so the printed license needs the gold star in the upper-right corner to clear TSA screening.4Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID
Banking and Financial Services
Federal financial regulators have not issued guidance specifically approving mobile driver licenses for opening bank accounts or meeting anti-money-laundering identity verification. Don’t count on using a Florida digital ID (or any state’s mobile license) for formal financial identity checks.
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. The catch: if the officer cannot immediately verify the digital credential, you must hand over your printed license on demand.5The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 322.15 – License to Be Carried and Exhibited on Demand
With many officers still lacking scanning equipment, and the app itself unavailable right now, carrying your physical card is essential. Treat the digital ID as a backup. A dead battery, a weak cell signal, or an officer without a verifier app could leave you without a valid license if the plastic card is sitting at home.
Privacy Protections Built Into the System
One real advantage of the digital credential is selective disclosure. When you hand a physical card to a bartender or clerk, they see your full name, address, date of birth, and license number at once. Florida law authorizes “limited profiles” that share only what a specific transaction requires.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 322.032 – Digital Proof of Driver License or Identification Card Buying alcohol, the system can confirm you are over 21 without revealing your address.
The statute also prohibits the credentialing system from retaining your IP address, geolocation, or other data about where and when you used it.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 322.032 – Digital Proof of Driver License or Identification Card Anyone who scans your digital ID is barred from storing or sharing that data beyond what the specific transaction requires, with potential penalties for violations.
If Your Phone Is Lost or Stolen
The digital credential is protected by the PIN or biometric lock you set during enrollment, so a stranger who finds your phone cannot simply open the app and use it. Because the FLHSMV system verifies records in real time, a deactivated credential will not validate even if someone bypasses the lock screen.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 322.032 – Digital Proof of Driver License or Identification Card
Contact the FLHSMV to deactivate the digital credential if your phone is missing. Use the built-in remote wipe tool as well (Find My iPhone on Apple, Find My Device on Android) to erase the phone itself. The digital ID pulls data from the FLHSMV server rather than keeping a full copy on the device, so remote deactivation cuts off access at the source.