For some, there’s nothing quite like a stiff preflight drink — whether a beer, a glass of wine, a cocktail or some whiskey — to calm the nerves for those afraid of flying or just relax after getting through security.

The airport bar is a fixture in, well, airports everywhere.

Now folks looking for a preflight pint don’t need to carry their physical driver’s license at BWI Marshall Airport. As of Monday, seven bars and restaurants there can now verify your age using what’s known as a Mobile ID downloaded to your smartphone, the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration announced Monday.

Security checkpoints at BWI have allowed travelers through with their mobile driver’s license downloaded to a digital wallet since 2022. But other common ID-checkers around Maryland, like bar bouncers or law enforcement, haven’t accepted the transition just yet. At BWI, Flying Dog Tap House, Firkin & Flyer, Obrycki’s, R&R Seafood Bar (both locations), La Cocina Mexicana and Brix & Vine will be the first.

It marks a small step toward a time when your Maryland flag-themed plastic rectangle of an ID may be collecting dust in a shoebox, a relic of the past.

The announcement isn’t just about making it easier to relax with a pre-liftoff libation. It’s part of the MVA’s evolution to fight identity theft.

“We are constantly having to evolve what our physical license looks like to keep up with fraudsters,” said MVA administrator Chrissy Nizer in an interview.

Mobile ID is airtight with its own security measures, she said, and only shares the relevant information needed for a specific type of transaction, not everything on the card.

“It’s a crab on a Maryland flag background, and my first name and last initial are at the bottom,” said Nizer while showing off her own Mobile-ID. “But it’s not a photo of your license.”

Here’s how it works: First, you get verified — this first step does require taking a photo of your license, but that photo doesn’t get stored for just anyone to see.

Just pull up your phone’s wallet app, tap the plus sign and follow the prompts to upload your driver’s license. Once verified, your Mobile ID lives in your phone’s digital wallet just like Ravens, Orioles or concert tickets might — just open the app and show your Mobile ID to the bartender.

But businesses need a way to read and verify that information securely — that’s where the MVA comes in and why Nizer is so proud of the advancement. Her team developed the new Mobile ID Check by MD app that bars and restaurants at BWI will use to make sure it’s you.

So when you make it to Flying Dog, the bartender can tap your phone and verify your age.

Nizer’s team is already thinking about where else to take the app — bars and restaurants statewide, polling locations, law enforcement. Other states may be interested in the technology, too.

You can find helpful videos for how to register for Mobile ID and add yours to your phone’s digital wallet on the MVA website.