A. The Department may issue electronic credentials to persons who hold a valid physical credential that the Department is authorized to issue.

Terms Used In Virginia Code 46.2-226

  • Electronic credential: means an electronic method by which a person may display or transmit to another person information that verifies a person's identity, identifies personal property, or serves as evidence of the right of a person to do, or to use personal property to do, an act. See Virginia Code 46.2-225
  • Electronic credential system: means a computer system accessed by a person using a computer, cellular telephone, or other electronic device and used to display or transmit electronic credentials to other persons or to a verification system. See Virginia Code 46.2-225
  • Physical credential: means a document issued by an agency of the Commonwealth, another state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the United States, a foreign country, or a political subdivision of a foreign country that is issued in a physical format, such as paper or plastic, and that identifies the holder, identifies a piece of personal property, or grants the holder the permission to do, or to use property to do, an act. See Virginia Code 46.2-225
  • State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-245
  • Third-party electronic credential system: means an electronic credential system that is not maintained by the Department or by an agent of the Department on its behalf. See Virginia Code 46.2-225
  • United States: includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-255

B. If the Department issues electronic credentials, the credentials shall be issued in addition to, and not instead of, the underlying physical credentials for which a person is eligible. No electronic credential shall be issued unless the applicant holds the corresponding physical credential. Such electronic credentials shall be issued to an electronic credential system.

C. The Department may issue electronic credentials to third-party electronic credential systems if the Department first enters into an agreement with the owner of the third-party electronic credential system that sets forth the terms on which the electronic credentials may be displayed.

D. The Department may enter into agreements with an agency of the Commonwealth, another state of the United States, or the United States to grant access to the use of electronic credentials issued by such agency. The provisions of subsection B shall apply to credentials to which the Department grants such access unless, as part of the agreement permitting the Department to grant access, the other agency agrees that the Department may grant access to electronic credentials to persons not holding a corresponding physical credential.

2017, c. 697.