The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has expanded its digital ID acceptance program, now allowing travelers to use mobile driver’s licenses from Virginia and West Virginia at airport security checkpoints equipped with digital ID readers across the United States. The expansion builds upon the TSA’s ongoing efforts to modernize identity verification at airports, which began with the initial support for mobile IDs in Apple Wallet and has since grown to include multiple digital credential platforms.
Virginia became the latest state to join the program in January 2024, enabling residents who have downloaded their mobile driver’s license to use it for identity verification at TSA checkpoints nationwide. The addition follows West Virginia’s integration into the system, which was also announced in January 2024. West Virginia’s implementation was developed in partnership with IDEMIA, which completed successful field testing of the technology before the statewide rollout.
The system allows travelers to store their state-issued mobile driver’s licenses in digital wallets on their smartphones. At security checkpoints equipped with CAT-2 (Credential Authentication Technology) readers, passengers can present their mobile device to verify their identity, streamlining the screening process. The readers comply with the ISO 18013-5 standard for mobile driving licenses, ensuring interoperability and security across different jurisdictions.
Digital ID acceptance is part of the TSA’s broader technological modernization initiative, which includes the integration of biometric authentication and digital verification methods. The program aims to enhance both security effectiveness and operational efficiency while reducing passenger wait times at security checkpoints. The initiative supports the TSA’s recent approval for extended use of mobile driver’s licenses alongside REAL ID enforcement.
The TSA’s digital ID readers can now process mobile driver’s licenses from multiple participating states, with more jurisdictions expected to join the program. The expansion is supported by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators’ (AAMVA) Digital Trust Service, which helps ensure consistent verification standards across different states’ mobile driver’s license programs.
The verification process involves passengers downloading their state’s official mobile driver’s license application and following the enrollment procedures to store their license digitally. At checkpoints, travelers 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 maintains privacy by allowing users to share only the specific information required for TSA verification.
The expansion of digital ID acceptance marks a significant step in the TSA’s ongoing efforts to modernize airport security procedures while maintaining robust identity verification standards. The agency continues to work with additional states to expand the program’s reach and compatibility across the nation, with several other states, including Illinois planning to implement digital driver’s licenses by 2025.
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