A digital driver’s license is a government-issued version of your plastic card that lives on your smartphone, protected by a hardware security chip and your fingerprint or face. As of 2026, more than 20 states and territories issue them, and the TSA accepts them at over 250 airports.1Transportation Security Administration. Participating States and Eligible Digital IDs2Transportation Security Administration. Digital Identity and Facial Comparison Technology It is a supplement to your physical license, not a replacement, and acceptance outside airports is still uneven.
What It Actually Is
The credential, often called a mobile driver’s license or mDL, is stored inside a protected area of your phone called a secure enclave. That isolation keeps it from being copied, exported, or faked with a screenshot. When you present it, your phone talks to the verifier’s device over Bluetooth, NFC, or a QR code, and a cryptographic signature proves the credential is genuine.
The international standard behind it, ISO 18013-5, was built around a feature called selective disclosure. Rather than showing your whole license, you can share only the specific piece of information being asked for. A liquor store checking your age can receive a yes-or-no answer to “is this person over 21?” without ever seeing your birthdate, address, or license number.3American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. mDL Implementation Guidelines Version 1.3
Who Can Get One
Twenty-one states and territories currently participate in the TSA’s digital ID program, and several others are testing or developing their own. The TSA keeps the current roster on its participating states page.1Transportation Security Administration. Participating States and Eligible Digital IDs
Enrollment is optional everywhere. You generally need an active, valid physical license to start, and most states limit early enrollment to standard non-commercial licenses, so commercial drivers and learner’s permit holders may need to wait. Where you store the credential depends on your state: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, and Maryland support Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, and Samsung Wallet, while others offer only one option or require a state-specific app.
How to Set It Up
Setup starts in your state’s designated app or your phone’s wallet, with your physical license in hand. The app uses your camera to scan the front and back of the card, reading the barcode and embedded security features.
Most apps then run a liveness check. You follow prompts to blink or move your head, proving a real person is holding the phone rather than someone pointing it at a photo. You also need biometric authentication turned on, whether that’s face unlock or a fingerprint sensor, because the mDL uses it as the gate to the credential.
After you submit, the app sends your information to your state’s motor vehicle agency for verification. Some states confirm within minutes. Others may take a few days if a human needs to review the file. Once approved, the credential appears in your wallet or app and is ready to present.
Using It at the Airport
At participating TSA checkpoints, you present the credential by tapping your phone on a reader or displaying a QR code. The system verifies the cryptographic signature. You don’t hand your phone to the officer.2Transportation Security Administration. Digital Identity and Facial Comparison Technology
The REAL ID picture is still in motion. The REAL ID Modernization Act amended the definitions of “driver’s license” and “identification card” to include electronically stored or accessed credentials, but an mDL can only become fully REAL ID-compliant once TSA finalizes regulations and states issue conforming credentials.4Federal Register. Minimum Standards for Drivers Licenses and Identification Cards Acceptable by Federal Agencies for Official Purposes Right now TSA accepts mDLs based on a REAL ID-compliant physical license, and it still tells travelers to carry an acceptable physical ID as a backup.1Transportation Security Administration. Participating States and Eligible Digital IDs
Using It During a Traffic Stop
Some states accept the digital credential during a traffic stop, but the way it works differs from handing over plastic. The officer’s device communicates with your phone over Bluetooth, pulling only the data fields the officer requests. You keep your phone in your hand.
Acceptance varies. In some states the mDL is treated as legally equivalent to a physical license at a traffic stop. In others, the digital version is still in a pilot phase and whether it’s accepted comes down to the officer. If the patrol vehicle doesn’t have a compatible reader, or your phone has no signal, you’ll need the plastic card. Keep both on you until your state says otherwise.
What Showing Your Phone Does and Doesn’t Permit
Presenting a digital license is not consent to search your phone. In Riley v. California, the Supreme Court held that police generally need a warrant to search the digital contents of a cell phone, even one seized during an arrest.5Justia US Supreme Court. Riley v California, 573 US 373 (2014) Showing your mDL at a traffic stop doesn’t change that.
The technical design reinforces the legal boundary. Because the officer’s reader pulls specific license fields wirelessly, there’s no reason for the device to leave your hand. Your phone displays a consent prompt, and the requested fields transfer. Border crossings are the exception; customs officers have broader authority to inspect electronic devices without a warrant.
Privacy Compared to Plastic
When a bartender checks your plastic license, they see your full name, address, date of birth, license number, and sometimes organ donor status and physical description. With an mDL, a business scanning for age verification can receive only confirmation that you meet the age threshold.3American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. mDL Implementation Guidelines Version 1.3
That matters because the retailers and venues that photocopy IDs are a real source of data breaches. A system that confirms age without transmitting an address or license number removes a category of identity-theft exposure.
Keep the Plastic Card in Your Wallet
This is the part people skip and regret. Nearly every state still legally requires you to carry a physical license while driving, and TSA tells travelers to bring an acceptable physical ID even when using a digital one.2Transportation Security Administration. Digital Identity and Facial Comparison Technology
The reasons are practical. Phones die, screens crack in collisions, and cellular coverage disappears in rural areas. If a reader can’t communicate with your device, you’re back to plastic. Failing to produce a physical license when required can bring a citation, with fines that vary by state.
If Your Phone Is Lost or Stolen
Losing a phone with your mDL is less damaging than losing a wallet full of cards. The device’s lock screen and biometric authentication keep the credential encrypted and unusable without your fingerprint or face.
You can also act remotely. Most states let you delete the digital credential through your wallet provider’s account or through your DMV’s online portal. Your phone’s find-my-device feature can lock or wipe the whole phone. Once you replace the device, re-enroll for a fresh mDL tied to the new hardware. Your physical license and driving record are not affected.
Where It Doesn’t Work Yet
A digital license is not recognized outside the United States. The international driving conventions were written around physical credentials, and no country currently accepts a U.S. mDL for driving. If you’re driving abroad you’ll need your physical license and, in many countries, an International Driving Permit.6USAGov. International Drivers License for US Citizens
Banking is similar. A handful of institutions in early-adopter states have started accepting mDLs for in-person identity checks, and federal regulators including FinCEN have studied digital identity proofing, but no federal rule requires banks to accept the digital version.7FinCEN.gov. FDIC FinCEN Digital Identity Tech Sprint Key Takeaways and Solution Summaries Bring your physical ID to the bank for now.