Does TSA Accept Digital IDs On Your Phone?

For many travelers, the arrival of digitized travel documents has been a long time coming. From credit cards to health insurance cards, much of our lives exist in digital form on our smartphones. In some states, you can even add your driver's license to your Apple Wallet on an iPhone, Google Wallet, or Samsung Wallet for easy access wherever you are. Given how common mobile credentials have become, it only makes sense that federal agencies like the TSA would accept digital IDs on your phone — and in many cases, they do, depending on where you're traveling in the U.S. That means, along with managing your boarding passes from your Apple Watch or another wearable device, you can use a mobile driver's license, a digital state-issued ID, or a digital version of your passport on your phone to verify your identity at some TSA checkpoints.

Being able to use digital IDs and boarding passes at TSA checkpoints might help you get through them faster. Most veteran travelers remember the days of rifling through their wallets or travel bags in search of their ID or boarding pass. TSA's acceptance of digital IDs allows us to put those days behind us. You likely have your phone in hand or close by as you go through the security line, and now all you have to do is tap or scan it when it's time to present your ID at a participating TSA checkpoint and then be on your way.

Yes — but only at select TSA security checkpoints and under specific conditions. You must use an eligible digital ID from a participating state or private issuing authority. There are currently fourteen states on the TSA's list: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia. Residents of Puerto Rico can also use their digital IDs at select TSA checkpoints. You can also use a mobile U.S. passport for domestic travel at TSA checkpoints that accept digital IDs.

However, having a digital passport or a digital ID from a participating state won't get you through all TSA checkpoints. The airport you're flying out of must accept digital IDs for you to use one. Otherwise, you'll have to use your physical photo ID. Even at checkpoints where digital IDs are accepted, you need to have the physical copy of your ID with you and hand it over to a TSA agent if they ask to see it. You can use the TSA's digital ID map to see if the airport you're leaving from accepts digital IDs as a form of identification. If it does, you'll be able to use your digital ID at a CAT-2, a TSA security checkpoint equipped with facial recognition technology to match your ID with a live photo. 

Once you've confirmed you're at a TSA checkpoint that accepts digital IDs, tap or scan your digital ID and consent to share information with the TSA when the message appears on your phone. After you've done that, the CAT-2 will take a picture of you, which will be compared with the photo embedded in your digital ID. If you have a TSA PreCheck membership, you can use your digital ID at participating locations — but not all PreCheck checkpoints support digital IDs yet.