If you’ve already ditched your physical credit card for Tap to Pay and use your phone as your boarding pass, adding your ID to your phone seems like the obvious next step. Starting May 7th, when you’ll need a REAL ID for all domestic flights, the TSA will officially accept digital IDs created from your U.S. passport or your Real ID-compliant driver’s license – provided you're flying out of a supported airport.
Until recently, digital IDs were only available in a few states, but adoption has grown to 15 states. In states like Arizona, Maryland, Georgia, and Colorado, you can now add your Real ID-compliant driver’s license or state ID directly to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. And in other states you can use their official mobile ID app. Once added, your digital ID functions just like your physical ID at TSA checkpoints that support digital verification.
The process of loading a digital ID on your phone varies by state. However, it typically involves verifying your identity through your state’s DMV app and then syncing the ID with your phone’s wallet app. I have a New York Enhanced Driver License, which is REAL-ID compliant, and it took just a couple of minutes to install the New York Mobile ID app, enter my phone number, take pictures of the front and back of my license, and scan my face to store my license in my phone.
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If you don’t have a Real ID – or your state doesn’t yet support mobile IDs – you now have another option. Using Google Wallet, you can create a TSA-approved digital ID pass directly from your U.S. passport. You’ll scan your passport’s info page and NFC chip and snap a quick selfie. Google will verify your information and issue an "ID Pass" that you'll find in your Google Wallet.
That said, there’s a catch. Digital IDs are only accepted at TSA checkpoints equipped with CAT-2 (Credential Authentication Technology) readers, and not all airports have them. According to the TSA, around 30 airports currently support digital ID verification. Before you fly, it’s essential to check the TSA’s travel map to confirm your departure airports accept digital credentials.
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Going fully digital is where we’re headed. It’s convenient, secure, and in many cases, faster. But for now, you’ll still want to bring your physical ID just in case something goes wrong or you're flying through an unsupported airport. That said, for those of us already living a digital-first lifestyle, being able to use your phone for everything – including ID at the airport – just makes sense.
[Image credit: Screenshot via Techlicious, mockup via Canva]
