States That Accept Driver's License in Apple Wallet at TSA

Apple Wallet can store a state-issued driver’s license or ID, but that doesn’t mean every state qualifies as one of the states that accept a driver’s license in Apple Wallet at TSA checkpoints. According to TSA’s own list of participating states and eligible digital IDs, 16 states plus Puerto Rico currently route a mobile ID through Apple Wallet specifically for checkpoint use. Other states may use a state-built app instead, or may not appear on TSA’s current eligible-ID list at all.

That distinction matters because having a digital ID somewhere doesn’t mean a TSA agent, a police officer, or a business will accept it. California’s DMV, which has one of the more developed Apple Wallet rollouts in the country, states plainly that law enforcement, state agencies, and most businesses aren’t yet accepting its mobile driver’s license. TSA checkpoints are the clearest, most consistent place this feature actually works today.

This guide breaks down which states currently qualify, what to check with your own DMV before setting one up, how the checkpoint process works, and what to do before you rely on it for a flight.

The 16 states (and Puerto Rico) on TSA's Apple Wallet list

Three states list Apple Wallet as the only eligible digital-ID option tied to TSA checkpoints:

• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Oklahoma

The remaining 13 states list Apple Wallet alongside other wallets or a state-built app (TSA):

• Arkansas: Arkansas Mobile ID, Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet
• Arizona: Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet
• California: California DMV Wallet App, Apple Wallet, Google Wallet
• Colorado: CO Mobile ID, Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet
• Georgia: Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet
• Iowa: Iowa Mobile ID app, Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet
• Maryland: Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet
• Montana: Apple Wallet, Google Wallet
• New Mexico: Apple Wallet, Google Wallet
• North Dakota: Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet
• Ohio: Apple Wallet, Google Wallet
• Virginia: VA MiD app, Apple Wallet
• West Virginia: WV MiD app, Apple Wallet, Samsung Wallet

Puerto Rico also appears on the list with Apple Wallet and Google Wallet support, though it's worth remembering Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, not a state.

Not every digital ID qualifies even inside a supported state. TSA requires an eligible mobile driver's license to be based on a REAL ID-compliant license, an Enhanced Driver's License, or an Enhanced Identification Card (TSA). TSA does not list a standard, non-REAL-ID credential as eligible, no matter which state issued it.

If your state isn't on this list, TSA's page simply doesn't show an Apple Wallet credential from that state as eligible at participating checkpoints. Check TSA's current list against your issuing state before assuming your phone can stand in for your physical card at security.

Why some digital-ID states skip Apple Wallet entirely

This is where the lists get easy to conflate. TSA separately maintains a table of states that have received a federal waiver allowing residents to use approved mobile driver's licenses at participating airports and federal agencies, and that table covers 22 states plus Puerto Rico (TSA, "REAL ID Mobile Driver's Licenses"). Holding a waiver is not the same as appearing on the Apple Wallet checkpoint list.

Alaska, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, and Utah all appear on that federal waiver list. But TSA's participating-states table does not list Apple Wallet support for any of them; their listed digital-ID options are state-built apps instead, specifically Alaska Mobile ID, KY Mobile ID, LA Wallet, NY MiD, and the GET Mobile App (TSA).

Connecticut sits in its own category. It appears on TSA's waiver list, but it doesn't show up anywhere on TSA's current participating-states table, not for Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, or a state app (TSA, "REAL ID Mobile Driver's Licenses"; TSA). The supplied TSA pages don't establish a currently available Wallet or app workflow for Connecticut residents; a waiver alone doesn't tell readers which app or checkpoint process is actually live.

Federal enforcement of the REAL ID standard took effect on May 7, 2025. TSA will only accept a digital ID for federal purposes if the issuing state holds a waiver under federal regulation or the agency in question has adopted its own acceptance policy, and TSA confirms acceptance policies vary by agency rather than following one uniform national rule (TSA).

How to add a driver's license to Apple Wallet (and what to check first)

Setup is simple once your state qualifies. Using California's documented process as an example: open Apple Wallet, tap the plus sign in the top-right corner, select Driver's License or State ID, and follow the on-screen instructions to begin enrollment (California DMV).

Device requirements are where it pays to check before you start. California DMV documents a general baseline for ID in Apple Wallet of iPhone 8 or later running iOS 16.5 or later, or Apple Watch Series 4 or later running watchOS 9.5 or later. California itself sets a higher bar for its own mDL: iPhone XS or later with iOS 17.5 or later, or Apple Watch Series 4 or later with watchOS 10 or later (California DMV). Because this source documents California's specific requirements, check your own state DMV's page before enrolling rather than assuming your device clears the bar.

Enrollment steps, eligible license types, and device minimums are each set by the issuing DMV. A state appearing on TSA's list shows that TSA lists an eligible digital-ID method for that state; it doesn't guarantee your specific iPhone, Apple Watch, or license type will clear setup today. Your own DMV's instructions are the source to trust for that.

How the TSA checkpoint process actually works

At a participating checkpoint, California DMV describes double-clicking the side button on an iPhone or Apple Watch and selecting the ID in Apple Wallet, then holding the device near the identity reader and reviewing the requested information. After that, the traveler authenticates with Face ID on iPhone, or confirms with a double-click on Apple Watch (California DMV).

TSA frames the broader rollout in terms of reach: more than 250 TSA checkpoints nationwide currently support mobile driver's licenses or digital IDs stored in a phone's wallet or a third-party app (TSA). That figure covers digital ID generally, not Apple Wallet specifically, and it describes checkpoint capability broadly rather than confirming every airport or lane accepts it. Verify with your airline or check TSA's guidance before your trip rather than assuming your departure airport or checkpoint is covered just because your state made the list.

TSA is unambiguous on the point that matters most: travelers should always carry a physical, acceptable form of ID to the checkpoint, even where a digital ID is accepted (TSA). TSA repeats that guidance elsewhere, confirming mobile driver's licenses meeting REAL ID standards are accepted while a physical ID is still required at the checkpoint (TSA FAQ). Apple, Google, and CLEAR's digital passport options are currently accepted too, according to that same FAQ, and the FAQ tells travelers to bring physical ID regardless of which option they use.

Where else your Apple Wallet ID works, and where it doesn't

Airports aren't the only place California has built acceptance. California DMV describes select merchants accepting the ID in person the same way a checkpoint does, by holding the device near an identity reader, and select apps accepting it through a "Verify with Apple Wallet" button where the user taps to confirm their information (California DMV).

California DMV has also published a program letting businesses adopt mDL readers and sign up for age and identity verification at point-of-sale terminals (California DMV). It's a sign of active investment in broader acceptance, but it's California-specific infrastructure.

The more important caveat is the one California's own DMV states directly: the mDL is currently authorized for limited usage, and law enforcement, state government agencies, and most businesses aren't yet accepting it (California DMV). In practice, a digital driver's license isn't a dependable substitute for your physical card at, say, a traffic stop, a business, or a government office window, even in the state with the furthest-along setup. TSA checkpoints remain the use case with the broadest documentation behind them; everything else is still limited and worth confirming locally.

What happens to your ID if your iPhone is lost

The verification exchange is built to avoid handing over the device. California DMV describes the ID as being presented digitally between the device and the identity reader, meaning a traveler or customer never needs to hand an iPhone or Apple Watch to another person to prove identity. Sharing is also consent-gated: usage isn't tracked, and no data leaves the device without the user's consent (California DMV). TSA separately confirms it only receives a passenger's digital ID information at checkpoints with that passenger's consent, and that it doesn't copy or store the digital ID outside a limited testing environment used to evaluate facial comparison accuracy (TSA).

If a phone goes missing, California's documented options are the Find My app, which can manage the ID remotely, or logging into iCloud from any browser to pause or delete it (California DMV). Those are agency-stated safeguards rather than independently audited outcomes, and they're documented for California specifically. If you're enrolling through a different state's DMV, confirm that state offers equivalent lost-device controls before assuming your setup behaves the same way.

What to do before your next flight

Three things to confirm before you lean on this feature at the airport:

• Check that your issuing state, or Puerto Rico, actually appears on TSA's participating-states page.
• Confirm with your own state DMV that your specific license type and iPhone or Apple Watch meet their setup requirements.
• Pack your physical license or ID card anyway. TSA's guidance to carry physical ID applies to all mDL holders, regardless of which state issued the digital version (TSA, "REAL ID Mobile Driver's Licenses").

A digital ID in Apple Wallet may simplify the identity check at a participating checkpoint, but it isn't a replacement yet. Treating it as one is the surest way to end up stuck at security with nothing physical to show.