Business Partners
Who Can Accept the Colorado Digital ID™?
If you own a Colorado business or work at a state agency, you can! On Oct. 30, 2019, Governor Jared Polis issued an Executive Order stating that the Colorado Digital ID™ may be accepted as a legal form of personal identification for use in Colorado. Colorado businesses are encouraged to accept the Digital ID, and all executive branch agencies may accept the Digital ID as a method to prove a person's identity.
Colorado State Patrol began accepting Digital ID on Nov. 30, 2020. Local law enforcement agencies across the state are beginning to accept it, too. Not all law enforcement agencies accept Colorado Digital ID at this time and may continue to require a physical driver license or state-issued ID card. For this reason, Coloradans still need to carry their physical ID.
State Liquor & Marijuana Rules
The Secretary of State published the following Department of Revenue rules for liquor and marijuana merchant verification of age and identity:
Colorado Liquor Rules: Reference CCR 203-2, Regulation 47-912 - Identification, paragraph A, number 1 which states that verification of age can be done by "Producing adequate identification of age, including any verified digital identification, that is valid and unexpired..."
Colorado Marijuana Rules: Reference CCR 212-3, 3-405 – Identification, paragraph C which states that "any valid and verified digital identification" of a driver license or state ID is deemed adequate.
Colorado state agencies are updating the official rules for accepting identification to include digital forms of ID. Visit your normal reference for identification rules as additional updates are in progress.
How to Verify Identity & Age
There are several ways to verify a person’s identity with the Colorado Digital ID, as well as some built-in security features to confirm that it’s legitimate.
Visual Digital ID inspection
Ask the holder to rotate the phone to see the free-floating flower hologram move. If the hologram does not move, it is a static photo, indicating a counterfeit. Please note: iOS users must have the Reduce Motion setting turned off (greyed out) in order for the hologram to function properly.
Ask the holder to press on the ID so you can see if the text size enlarges.
Ask the holder to close and reopen the myColorado app to show their Digital ID.
Digital ID barcode scan - simply have the user swipe left to show the barcode.
Scanning the Barcode
Merchants can scan the 2D barcode on a Colorado Digital ID just as they do for physical cards. The swipe-left functionality displays the “back” of the ID with the barcode.
The Digital ID has built-in security features
Swipe left to show the Digital ID barcode
Protecting Privacy
myColorado users can hide information within the Colorado Digital ID that is not relevant for a particular transaction. For example, if age verification is required to purchase alcohol, users can choose to hide their address - or even their birthdate - as a privacy measure. An indicator located on the Digital ID confirms whether or not customers are over 21.
If there is suspicion that a Colorado Digital ID is fraudulent, the phone cannot be confiscated. However, merchants may ask to see the physical driver license or state ID card.
Digital ID Training for Employees
It's important for cashiers, bartenders, food servers, pharmacy staff, and other employees who regularly accept identification to be familiar with the Digital ID.
Click here to download the one-page training document and learn how to easily verify that a person’s Digital ID is genuine.
Click here to download the learning module (PowerPoint file) that can be integrated into your employee training process for checking ID. If you have questions or would like additional training content, send an email to myColorado@state.co.us. We’ll be happy to work with your training team to help your employees quickly and easily check the Digital ID.
Become a myColorado Partner
Let Coloradans know you accept myColorado and Colorado Digital ID. Request a window sticker to proudly display at your business.
