The United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has issued a final rule in the Federal Register permitting passengers to utilize mobile driver’s licenses (mDL) for identity verification at TSA airport security checkpoints, effective upon the commencement of REAL ID enforcement on May 7, 2025.
The final regulation, which will take effect on November 25, 2024, permits states to request a temporary exemption from specific REAL ID requirements as outlined in the REAL ID regulations. Upon receiving approval, those state-issued mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs) will remain valid at TSA airport security checkpoints. TSA will provide a list of states whose mDLs have been authorized for federal acceptance on its website. Following the establishment of new industry standards and federal guidelines, TSA plans to initiate a future rulemaking process to establish more comprehensive requirements for mDLs, which will ultimately replace the waiver provisions introduced by this regulation.
“TSA recognizes that digital technology plays a crucial role in our identity verification system, enhancing security efficiency while improving the passenger experience,” stated TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “This regulation reflects our dedication to improving the passenger experience through secure and privacy-focused identity verification, promoting innovation, and upholding the objectives of the REAL ID Act. We will persist in developing innovative and secure digital identity solutions in collaboration with our state and industry partners.”
A mobile driver’s license (mDL) is a digital version of a physical driver’s license issued by a state, typically accessed through an application on the user’s smartphone and stored within a digital wallet. This process mirrors the way many individuals currently keep their physical credit cards on their devices. The information contained in the digital wallet can be retrieved when the smartphone is either tapped against an mDL reader or scanned beneath it, allowing for the verification of the mDL’s authenticity and the individual’s identity.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) presently recognizes mDLs from 11 states across 27 participating airports, with the objective of broadening acceptance to all airports by implementing this technology on a national scale. The states that have adopted this system include Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, Ohio, and Utah.
