The invention discloses a motor vehicle driver identity authentication method and system. The system comprises an identity authentication system server, an identity authentication system client, a vehicle-mounted terminal, a data transmission system, a terminal authorization intelligent card, a personal authentication intelligent card and a data cipher machine, wherein the identity authentication system server is used for storing motor vehicle information and driver information and receiving identity authentication information from the vehicle-mounted terminal; the identity authentication system client is used for providing an interface for login of the identity authentication system server, and adding or querying the motor vehicle information and the driver information; the vehicle-mounted terminal is provided with a terminal contact type IC card slot which is used for inserting the terminal authorization intelligent card and a personal contact type IC card slot which is used for inserting the personal authentication intelligent card; the terminal authorization intelligent card is used for storing information of one motor vehicle and a key same as that in the data cipher machine; the personal authentication intelligent card is used for storing identity information of the driver of the motor vehicle and a key same as that in the data cipher machine; the personal authentication intelligent card and the terminal authorization intelligent card pass matching authentication through the keys; the data cipher machine is used for storing system keys and encrypting and decrypting the data transmitted in the data transmission system; and data transmission is carried out between the identity authentication system server and the vehicle-mounted terminal through the data transmission system.