CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) plans to offer drivers the option to keep their vehicle registration and driver’s license in a digital form on their phone.
Gov. Jim Justice announced during his media briefing on Wednesday that the DMV will launch new innovative programs of digital-focused services for digital vehicle registration cards and the West Virginia Mobile ID.
West Virginians who are renewing their vehicle registration online can now opt in to have their digital registration card stored in their smartphone wallet. This new digital service is also free.
“This is a major step forward for the DMV and for West Virginia residents,” Gov. Justice said. “It’s convenient and secure, which is what we strive for in state government.”
The West Virginia Mobile ID will be a digital version of a driver’s license and ID card. That initiative is expected to launch in the Spring.
DMV Commissioner Everett Frazier calls these developments a game-changer.
“It’s secure, convenient, and puts the power of your ID right at your fingertips,” said Frazier.
The DMV’s new initiatives are in collaboration with law enforcement and industry leader IDEMIA. Frazier said introducing the digital options for West Virginia drivers have been long talked about.
“These advancements align with the DMV’s ongoing commitment to digitalization,” Commissioner Frazier said. “We’re partnering with Tyler Technologies to make the DMV experience faster, easier, and more accessible for everyone.”
West Virginians can renew their registration online through the DMV’s Self-Service Portal. After making a transaction, there will be a link to download the digital registration card to the user’s device included in a confirmation email. There will also be a registration card in PDF format and a paper copy with the registration decal in the email.
Frazier said drivers should still keep hard copies of their license and vehicle registration on them when driving.