Montgomery County Alcohol Beverage Services will start accepting mobile IDs, making it the first government-run system in the region to use them to verify age during alcohol purchases.
ABS will begin accepting mobile IDs this week at its Westbard store and, if the pilot is successful, plans to expand to all 27 ABS stores in Montgomery County.
ABS and Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration officials will host a kick-off event at 10 a.m. on Wednesday at the newly renovated Westbard Oak Barrel & Vine store in Bethesda. Officials will demonstrate the Mobile ID Check by MD app, which businesses will use to accept mobile driver’s licenses and ID cards for age verification on their mobile devices without extra hardware.
“This collaboration between ABS and MVA shows how technology can improve convenience and security for our residents,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “By accepting mobile IDs, we’re providing a modern solution that simplifies transactions, enhances privacy and prevents fraud. I’m pleased to see Montgomery County leading the way with innovations that benefit our community.”
The MVA offers mobile identification for residents through the Maryland Mobile ID program, which is accessible through Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, and Samsung Wallet. Since its launch in 2022, over 250,000 users have added their driver’s licenses or state IDs to their phones.
The Maryland Mobile ID is accepted at ABS retail stores, TSA security checkpoints nationwide, and select Baltimore/Washington International Airport restaurants.
“The MVA is proud to partner with Montgomery County to deploy this innovative government solution that allows customers to simply prove they’re over 21—while not disclosing their personal data unnecessarily,” said Motor Vehicle Administrator Nizer. “Built on international standards and interoperable among states and other countries, the mobile ID is the next step forward in a digital world that offers better privacy protection of your identity.”
More information on Maryland’s Mobile ID program is available at maryland.gov.