The Transportation Security Administration has expanded its digital ID acceptance program to include Virginia, enabling residents to use mobile driver’s licenses for identity verification at airport security checkpoints nationwide equipped with digital ID readers. The expansion follows the TSA’s broader initiative to modernize traveler verification, which has already seen successful implementations in states like West Virginia.
The expansion, announced in January 2024, was implemented in partnership with IDEMIA following successful field testing. Virginia residents can now store their state-issued mobile driver’s licenses in digital wallets on their smartphones, including Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, or Samsung Wallet. The development builds on IDEMIA’s previous success with ISO-certified mobile ID solutions.
At security checkpoints equipped with CAT-2 (Credential Authentication Technology) readers, passengers present their mobile devices for identity verification. The readers comply with the ISO 18013-5 standard for mobile driving licenses, ensuring interoperability and security across different jurisdictions. The TSA has been steadily expanding its CAT-2 deployment, with notable implementations including the Denver International Airport.
The verification process requires passengers to download their state’s official mobile driver’s license application and complete enrollment procedures to store their license digitally. When traveling, users present their mobile device to the digital ID reader, which verifies the credential’s authenticity and matches it to the passenger’s boarding documentation.
The system incorporates privacy protection measures by allowing users to share only the specific information required for TSA verification. Virginia residents can now use TSA-approved digital IDs at security checkpoints in over 200 airports nationwide equipped with CAT-2 readers.
The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators’ (AAMVA) Digital Trust Service supports consistent verification standards across different states’ mobile driver’s license programs. Virginia recently became the third state to fully participate in this national trust framework. Several other states, including Illinois, are planning to implement digital driver’s licenses by 2025.
While digital IDs provide an additional verification option, the TSA continues to recommend that travelers carry a physical driver’s license or another acceptable form of identification as a backup measure.
Sources: Mobile ID World, Travel And Tour World
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