The Transportation Security Administration has expanded its digital ID acceptance program to include West Virginia-issued mobile driver’s licenses, enabling residents to use their smartphones for identity verification at TSA security checkpoints. West Virginia becomes the 14th jurisdiction to implement TSA-compatible digital identification, following a successful field testing phase conducted in collaboration with IDEMIA.
The program now accepts mobile driver’s licenses from Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Utah, and West Virginia. The verification system captures a real-time photo to match the traveler’s face with their digital ID while simultaneously confirming their ticketed travel status, eliminating the need for a separate boarding pass presentation. The biometric verification approach enhances security while streamlining the checkpoint process.
West Virginia’s Mobile ID app, developed in collaboration with IDEMIA, adheres to the ISO 18013-5 standard for mobile driver’s licenses, ensuring compatibility across different verification systems. The implementation includes comprehensive staff training programs and public awareness initiatives to facilitate technology adoption. IDEMIA has been at the forefront of mobile ID development, having previously launched similar successful programs in other states.
The timing coincides with the approaching 2025 REAL ID deadline, though the TSA has recently proposed extending full implementation to 2027 while maintaining individual compliance requirements for 2025. The TSA is progressively expanding digital ID acceptance to additional airports and jurisdictions as states develop compatible systems, reflecting a broader national movement toward digital identification that has gained significant momentum in recent years.
West Virginia’s implementation builds upon its initial beta launch of the digital driver’s license program, which included TSA PreCheck support from its inception. The successful rollout demonstrates the growing maturity of mobile ID technology and its increasing acceptance in critical security applications.
Sources: ID Tech Wire
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