Digital IDs and Mobile Driver's Licenses at TSA: Which States Work and How to Add Yours

You’ve got your boarding pass on your phone, your payment cards on your phone and your hotel key on your phone. So can you leave your wallet at home and fly with a digital ID?

Partly. TSA now accepts digital IDs and mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs) at hundreds of airport checkpoints, and the list of participating states keeps growing. But there are catches: your state has to participate, your ID usually has to be REAL ID compliant, and TSA still requires you to carry a physical ID.

Here’s which states and wallets work, how to add your ID, and what to expect at the checkpoint.

What a digital ID or mobile driver’s license is

A mobile driver’s license is a digital version of your state-issued driver’s license or ID card, stored securely on your phone or watch. Unlike a photo of your license, it’s cryptographically signed by the issuing state, so a reader can confirm it’s genuine and hasn’t been altered.

You can hold one in 2 main ways:

• In your phone’s wallet app, such as Apple Wallet, Google Wallet or Samsung Wallet, in states that partner with those platforms.
• In a state-run app, such as LA Wallet in Louisiana or the NY MiD app in New York.

There’s also a newer option: passport-based digital IDs. Apple Wallet’s Digital ID and Google Wallet’s ID pass let US passport holders create an ID from their passport, which TSA accepts for domestic flights. That helps if your state doesn’t offer an mDL yet.

Which states TSA accepts

TSA keeps the official list on its Participating States and Eligible Digital IDs page. As of October 2026, it lists these states and territories:

TSA also lists passport-based options for US passport holders: Apple Wallet’s Digital ID, Google Wallet’s ID pass, Samsung ID with CLEAR and CLEAR’s own ID.

States are added regularly, so check TSA’s page before you travel rather than relying on any list, including this one.

Key takeaway: A digital ID can speed up the checkpoint, but it doesn’t replace your physical ID. Check that your state and wallet appear on TSA’s official list, and pack your license or passport anyway.

Which airports accept digital IDs

TSA says digital IDs work at more than 250 airports. Acceptance depends on the checkpoint having TSA’s newer identity verification equipment, called Credential Authentication Technology (CAT-2) units, which can read mDLs by tap or QR code.

Not every lane at every airport has these readers. If you’re flying from a small regional airport, or you end up in a lane without one, you’ll simply show your physical ID. That’s one more reason to carry it.

How to add your ID to your phone

The steps vary by platform, but the process is similar everywhere: scan your license, prove you’re the person on it, and wait for your state to approve.

Apple Wallet (iPhone and Apple Watch)

According to Apple’s support pages, you need an iPhone 8 or later (or Apple Watch Series 4 or later) on current software, Face ID or Touch ID turned on, an Apple Account with two-factor authentication and your device region set to the United States.

1. Open Wallet and tap the Add (+) button.
2. Choose Driver’s License or ID Cards and select your state.
3. Choose whether to add it to your iPhone only or also to your Apple Watch.
4. Scan the front and back of your license in good light against a plain background.
5. Take a selfie and follow prompts for facial and head movements.
6. Confirm with Face ID or Touch ID to send it to your state for review.

Your state, not Apple, approves or denies the request. You’ll get a notification when it’s ready.

Google Wallet (Android)

Google Wallet supports state IDs in participating states and an ID pass created from a US passport. Google’s help pages say you need a screen lock, and the ID pass needs Android 9 or later, NFC to read the passport chip, and Bluetooth and Nearby devices on to present it. The setup asks you to scan your ID (or your passport’s chip) and record a short video of your face for verification.

One important limit: Google says a state ID in Google Wallet that isn’t based on a REAL ID won’t be accepted at TSA checkpoints. If your physical license lacks the REAL ID star, consider the passport-based ID pass instead.

Samsung Wallet and state apps

Samsung Wallet supports mDLs in several states, and Samsung ID with CLEAR offers a passport-based option. State apps such as LA Wallet, NY MiD, CO Mobile ID or Utah’s GET Mobile app have their own sign-up steps, which usually involve scanning your license and a selfie. Download state apps only from the official app store listing linked on your DMV’s website.

What happens at the TSA checkpoint

Using a digital ID at the checkpoint takes a few seconds:

1. When you reach the officer, tell them you’re using a digital ID.
2. Tap your phone or watch on the reader, or scan the QR code shown in a state app, depending on what the checkpoint and your ID support.
3. Review and approve the request on your phone with Face ID, Touch ID or your PIN.
4. The reader may take a live photo to compare with your ID photo. TSA says you can decline the photo by telling the officer, without losing your place in line, and that photos and data are deleted after verification.

TSA says you never need to hand your phone to an officer. You keep it in your hand the whole time.

REAL ID and digital IDs

REAL ID enforcement began on May 7, 2025, so adult travelers now need a REAL ID-compliant license or another acceptable ID, such as a passport, to fly domestically.

Digital IDs fit into this through a TSA rule announced in October 2024 and effective November 25, 2024. It lets states apply for a temporary waiver so their mDLs remain accepted at checkpoints. In practice, eligible mDLs are generally based on a REAL ID-compliant or Enhanced license or ID card. TSA has said it plans further rulemaking on mDL standards, so these rules may change. Check tsa.gov/digital-id for the current requirements.

Privacy and security: what you’re sharing

Digital IDs can actually share less than a plastic card. When you hand over a physical license, the person sees everything on it. With an mDL, the reader requests specific data, and you approve it on your device.

A few privacy points worth knowing:

• Apple says license data in Wallet is encrypted and that neither Apple nor the issuing state can see when or where you use it.
• You don’t hand over your phone at the checkpoint.
• Your digital ID is protected by your device lock, so a strong passcode and biometrics matter. Our guide to phone settings to change on a new phone covers the basics.

If your phone is lost or stolen, use Find My (iPhone) or Find My Device (Android) to lock or erase it, and contact your state DMV if your state app has its own process. For broader protection, see how to protect yourself from identity theft.

Where to start before your next flight

1. Check TSA’s participating states page for your state and preferred wallet.
2. Confirm your physical license has the REAL ID star, or plan to use a passport-based digital ID.
3. Add your ID a week or more before travel. State approval can take time.
4. Update your phone’s software and make sure Face ID, Touch ID or a screen lock is on.
5. Pack your physical ID anyway. TSA requires it, and you’ll need it if your lane has no reader or your phone dies.
6. Charge your phone before security. A dead battery means no digital ID.

While you’re setting up travel tech, it’s worth learning how to track your luggage with a Bluetooth tracker, checking whether public Wi-Fi is safe at the gate, and reading up on using your phone abroad if you’re heading overseas.

Conclusion

Digital IDs are now a practical option at most large US airports, as long as your state participates or you use a passport-based ID in Apple or Google Wallet. Setup is quick, and the checkpoint tap takes seconds. Just remember the rule TSA keeps repeating: bring your physical ID too.

Sources

• TSA: Digital ID — how digital IDs work at checkpoints, 250+ airports, physical ID requirement, photo opt-out
• TSA: Participating States and Eligible Digital IDs — list of participating states, wallets and passport-based IDs
• TSA: Final rule enabling continued acceptance of mobile driver’s licenses (Oct. 24, 2024) — waiver rule and effective date
• Apple Support: Add your driver’s license or state ID to Apple Wallet — device requirements and setup steps
• Apple Support: Use your driver’s license or state ID in Apple Wallet — presenting the ID and privacy details
• Google Wallet Help: Create an ID pass with your passport — ID pass requirements and TSA use