A virtual driver’s license, officially called a mobile driver’s license or mDL, is a government-issued digital version of your plastic license stored on your smartphone. More than 20 states and territories now issue them, and the TSA accepts them at over 250 airports nationwide.1Transportation Security Administration. Digital Identity and Facial Comparison Technology Setup is free in every state that offers one, and the whole process usually takes a few minutes.
What follows is what to check before you start, how to add the credential to your phone, and where it will and won’t be accepted once you have it.
Is a Digital License Available in Your State
Availability depends on where your physical license was issued. As of 2026, more than 20 states have active mDL programs accepted at TSA checkpoints, with more states in legislation or pilot stages.2Transportation Security Administration. Participating States and Eligible Digital IDs Some states offer the credential through a single platform like Apple Wallet. Others support Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet, a dedicated state app, or several of these at once. The TSA keeps an updated list of participating states and the platforms each one supports.
There’s one eligibility rule that trips people up. Your digital license has to be based on a REAL ID-compliant physical license or an Enhanced Driver’s License for it to work at TSA checkpoints.2Transportation Security Administration. Participating States and Eligible Digital IDs If your plastic card doesn’t have the REAL ID star on it, upgrade the physical card at your DMV first. Otherwise the digital version won’t be accepted for federal purposes.
How to Set Up a Virtual Driver’s License
You need a valid, unexpired physical license and a reasonably recent smartphone. Apple Wallet requires an iPhone 8 or later running the latest iOS. Google Wallet and Samsung Wallet need Android 8.0 or higher. State-specific apps have their own requirements, so check your DMV’s website for the exact device list.
In states that use Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, or Samsung Wallet, you add your license directly through the wallet app that’s already on your phone. In other states, you download a dedicated app from the App Store or Google Play. The enrollment flow is similar either way:
- Scan the front and back of your physical card with your phone’s camera. The app reads the barcode and security features on the plastic.
- Take a live selfie. The app compares it against the photo your DMV already has on file to confirm the license belongs to you.
- Wait for verification. Your data goes to the issuing agency for validation, usually completing in a few minutes. You’ll get a notification when the credential is ready.
Once approved, the license is stored in your phone’s secure element, a tamper-resistant chip reserved for sensitive data like payment cards and identity credentials. It’s protected by the same biometric lock or passcode you already use to unlock your phone.
Wallet App or State App
If your state supports both, the choice comes down to convenience. A digital wallet keeps your license next to your credit cards and boarding passes in one place. A state-specific app is standalone and sometimes bundles extras like vehicle registration or organ donor status. Both work at TSA checkpoints.2Transportation Security Administration. Participating States and Eligible Digital IDs Some states let you enroll in both at once, which gives you a backup if one app has a problem.
Where You Can Actually Use It
Airport Security
The TSA accepts digital IDs at more than 250 airports.1Transportation Security Administration. Digital Identity and Facial Comparison Technology At participating checkpoints you tap your phone on a reader or hold it near a scanner instead of handing a card to the officer. The TSA still recommends carrying your physical license every time you fly as a backup.2Transportation Security Administration. Participating States and Eligible Digital IDs If the reader is down or your battery dies, that plastic card is what gets you through.
Federal Buildings
Digital licenses are not currently accepted for entry into federal facilities. Department of Homeland Security guidance on federal building access lists “a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license, a passport, or other acceptable ID” and does not include mobile credentials among the approved formats.3Department of Homeland Security. ID Requirements for Federal Facilities Visiting a federal courthouse, a Social Security office, or any government building, bring your physical card or a passport.
Stores, Bars, and Age Checks
More states are letting retailers accept digital licenses for age-restricted purchases like alcohol and tobacco, but acceptance is voluntary. A store or bar has to invest in scanning equipment and choose to accept the format. Whether a particular business takes your mDL depends on your state’s rules and that business’s own policy. Until acceptance is broader, carrying the plastic card when you expect an ID check is the safe move.
Traffic Stops
Showing a digital license to a police officer works differently than handing over plastic, and the difference matters. In most states with active mDL programs, you’re not required to hand your phone to the officer. The credential is shared through contactless technology: the officer’s reader pulls the data over NFC, or you display a QR code the officer scans. The officer sees your license information on their own equipment without touching your phone.
Several states have specifically clarified that presenting a digital license is not consent to search the rest of your phone. That protection matters because physically handing a device over could otherwise create ambiguity about what you’ve agreed to. If an officer asks to hold your phone, you can generally decline and offer the contactless method instead, though how smoothly that goes depends on whether the officer’s department has the right equipment.
Here’s what most people miss. In nearly every state, your digital license supplements the plastic one, it doesn’t replace it. State driving laws typically require the physical card to be in your immediate possession while driving. If your battery dies or the officer’s reader can’t connect, you still need to produce the plastic. Failing to show a valid license at all during a stop can result in a citation.
A Real Privacy Advantage
One thing a digital license genuinely does better than plastic is selective disclosure. When you hand a bouncer your physical card, they see your full name, home address, date of birth, license number, and photo all at once. An mDL can prove you’re over 21 without revealing any of that other information. Buying a bottle of wine doesn’t require giving a cashier your home address, but that’s what happens every time you hand over a plastic card. The digital format closes that gap, at least when the verifier’s system is set up to request only what it needs.
If Your Phone Is Lost or Stolen
Losing a phone that holds your license sounds worse than it is. The credential sits behind your phone’s biometric lock, so whoever finds the device can’t just open it and use the license. You can also deactivate the credential remotely. Apple users can use Find My to lock or erase the device and pause their Mobile ID until the phone is recovered. Android users have the same capability through Google’s Find My Device. Wiping the phone destroys the cryptographic keys the license depends on, so the credential becomes unusable. You set up a new one on a replacement phone by going through enrollment again. In practice this is safer than losing a wallet, where the plastic card stays valid until you call the DMV.
Does It Work Without Internet
Yes, at the moment you present it. Data moves directly between your phone and the verifier’s reader over NFC or Bluetooth, not over the internet, so the credential works in rural areas, inside buildings without Wi-Fi, or anywhere else connectivity is spotty. The one caveat is that your phone does need to connect occasionally to stay synced with your DMV record. Renewals, address changes, and routine refreshes only reach your credential when the device is online. How often that sync has to happen varies by state, but checking in over Wi-Fi every few weeks keeps the license current.
Why You Still Need the Plastic Card
For all the convenience a digital license offers, treating it as your only ID is a mistake right now. Federal buildings don’t accept it. Most states still legally require the plastic card while you’re driving. Retailers and businesses outside your home state may not have the equipment to read it. A dead battery turns the credential into nothing. Carry both until the infrastructure catches up, which, given how many states join the program each year, may happen sooner than it feels.