Empowering mobile driver license Trust and interoperability
Driver license issuing authorities across North America are beginning to issue mobile driver licenses (mDLs) to customers. AAMVA's mDL Digital Trust Service (DTS) is the system that supports all member jurisdictions in delivering successful mDL programs to their stakeholders. Providing a single, safe, secure, and resilient means through which relying parties can easily obtain the public keys of each issuing authority will drive the success of mobile driver license programs.
In September 2021, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published the Personal Identification – ISO Compliant driving license – Part 5: mobile driving license (mDL) application (ISO/IEC 18013-5) standard. This standard defines how mDLs should interoperate with mDL reader devices used by relying parties (any entity that relies on the security of a mobile identity). The standard also details the components of a verified issuer certificate authority list (VICAL) through which a list of legitimate issuing authority public keys can be shared with relying parties. AAMVA's DTS is the system that provides the VICAL to issuing authorities and relying parties.
mDL DTS Minimally Viable Product
AAMVA has launched a minimally viable product (MVP) of the DTS which is governed by AAMVA's Identity Management Committee. The pilot allows AAMVA to offer a safe and secure system with minimal cost and time to market bringing real-world feedback into the development cycle. By implementing the essential elements needed for the DTS, AAMVA and stakeholders can observe the solution in action. Below is a graphic that visually describes the flow of keys between the issuing authority, the DTS, and relying parties. Or, watch the "How DTS Works" video below.
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Participating issuing authorities provide AAMVA with the public keys used to issue their mDLs that are then loaded onto the DTS. The public keys are assembled into a list that can be downloaded, prior to interacting with an mDL, by relying parties and issuing authorities to verify the authenticity of the mDLs with which they interact.
The primary objective of the mDL DTS is to maximize the trustworthiness of mDLs issued by AAMVA jurisdictions. The solution provides relying parties with confidence in the DTS as the single best source to confirm the veracity of a digital identity. For a high-level summary on DTS and its benefits, see this document.
The mDL DTS does not receive, store, share, or otherwise interact with the personally identifiable information of any mDL holders.
Learn more about the mDL DTS by watching the video and listening to the podcasts below.
Stakeholders
AAMVA
AAMVA is the provider and operator of the mDL DTS. We bring North American state, territorial, and provincial motor vehicle and law enforcement agencies together to define and implement standards and best practices. AAMVA also serves as a critical technology solution provider to member jurisdictions that support driver license issuance and vehicle solutions.
mDL Holders
mDL holders are persons who are provisioned mDLs by the issuing authority from the jurisdiction in which they reside. The mDL ecosystem is designed to ensure that individuals can safely and securely make their identity claim with relying party reader technologies. The DTS does not receive, store, share, or otherwise interact with the personally identifiable information of any mDL holders at any time.
mDL Solution Vendors
mDL solution vendors are companies contracted by the issuing authorities to provide mDLs to their driver license and ID card holders.
mDL Issuing Authorities
Issuing authorities are government agencies responsible for issuing driver licenses, identification cards, and mDLs.
For more information about participating in the DTS, please visit here.
Relying Parties
Relying parties are organizations that accept mDLs as proof of identity.
For more information and to access VICAL, please visit here.