Key Takeaways
The ISO/IEC 18013-5 standard provides the foundation for mobile driver’s licenses by defining a consistent, machine-readable data format. This ensures interoperability across states and industries while protecting accuracy and security. By enforcing standardized fields, the mDL system makes credentials portable, verifiable, and compatible across jurisdictions.
Why Data Standards Matter
Driver’s licenses have long been physical cards carried in wallets. They work well in person but are limited in digital-first settings. To make identity verification scalable in the digital age, licenses must be machine-readable and consistent across industries and borders. Without uniform data standards, verifiers could misinterpret or reject information, undermining trust in verifiable digital credentials.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) collaborated on the mDL standard, ISO/IEC 18013-5. This framework is already required by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for airport use and is being implemented by states such as California, Maryland, Arizona, and Colorado.
The Data Array Model
Imagine a structured spreadsheet that contains driver information. While mDLs are not stored as spreadsheets, they rely on similar logic. Each piece of information corresponds to a specific data attribute, such as birth_date or document_number, and each attribute follows the same naming convention everywhere.
For example, if one state used “dob” and another used “date_of_birth,” systems would fail to communicate effectively. Instead, ISO/IEC 18013-5 enforces uniform naming conventions so that any verifier, regardless of jurisdiction, can immediately recognize and process the data correctly.
Core Mandatory Fields
The ISO/IEC 18013-5 specification outlines a set of mandatory identifiers every mDL must include:
- family_name: last name or surname of the holder
- given_name: first name(s) of the holder
- birth_date: full date of birth
- issue_date: date when the mDL was issued
- expiry_date: date when the mDL expires
- issuing_country: alpha-2 code of the issuing country or territory
- issuing_authority: name of the issuing authority
- document_number: number assigned or calculated by the authority
- portrait: image of the holder
- driving_privileges: holder’s licensed driving privileges
These fields represent the baseline information required for mDL functionality across all verifiers.
Expanded Mandatory Fields from AAMVA
The Association of American Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) goes further by upgrading several fields from optional to mandatory. This ensures even stronger consistency across jurisdictions:
- height: holder’s height in centimeters
- sex: holder’s sex, using ISO/IEC 5218 values
- eye_colour: holder’s eye color, with values such as “blue,” “green,” or “hazel”
- age_in_years: precise age in years
- age_over_NN: a true/false statement verifying whether the holder is over a specific age
These additions provide more complete data sets, helping verifiers confirm identity quickly and consistently.
Interoperability and Trust
The value of standardized data formats extends beyond DMVs. Organizations can all rely on the same trusted fields to process identity information. This interoperability reduces errors, eliminates duplication, and strengthens the overall ecosystem of digital identity.
For example, a bartender checking age, a TSA officer scanning an ID, and a hospital verifying a patient’s record all benefit from accessing consistent fields. By mandating shared formats, the ISO and AAMVA frameworks ensure that verification is fast, reliable, and scalable across industries.
Building for the Future
Standardized formats also support extensibility. While today’s focus is on driver’s licenses, the same frameworks can be applied to diplomas, health credentials, or professional licenses. As more forms of identity move into digital wallets, a shared technical backbone will enable cross-industry interoperability.
The ISO/IEC 18013-5 standard, complemented by AAMVA’s additional requirements, lays the groundwork for this expansion. With uniformity, verifiers can trust what they see, holders can share only what is necessary, and issuers can maintain consistency across jurisdictions.
