TSA expands acceptance of digital IDs to New York State

NEW YORK – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) now accepts New York-issued mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs) at checkpoints equipped with digital ID readers nationwide.

Travelers who download the New York Mobile ID app to their smartphone can use it to verify their identity at security, instead of handing over their physical photo ID and boarding pass to a TSA security officer at the checkpoint entrance.

New York State has made New York Mobile ID available to all state residents at no additional cost. First, make sure that the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles has issued you a driver’s license, permit, or non-driver identification card. Then simply download the New York Mobile ID app from the App Store or Google Play and add it to your smartphone.

“We are pleased to add this state-of-the-art digital ID to the list of accepted IDs at our security checkpoints,” said Robert Duffy, TSA’s director of federal security for LaGuardia Airport. “Travellers looking to take advantage of this new opportunity will find that their New York Mobile ID is a convenient option as they navigate the security process.”

“Digital credentials are the future of identity verification, and New York is proud to be among the states leading this innovation in partnership with TSA,” said DMV Commissioner Mark JF Schroeder. “It’s an exciting way to prove who you are without having to dig through your wallet or purse to find a physical document. Instead of handing over a physical ID card with loads of personal information, mobile ID gives you more control over what personal information you share, making it both more convenient and much safer for you,” he said.

New York residents can use their TSA-approved digital ID to verify their identity at the checkpoint at John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports and at 26 other airports where TSA has authentication technology units. These units are equipped with digital ID readers and a camera that captures a photo of the traveler in real time to match the traveler’s face to the face on his or her ID document. Once a TSA officer allows a person to enter the checkpoint, the photos are deleted.

The units are also able to verify that a person has a ticket for air travel that day, so the traveler does not have to show a boarding pass to a TSA officer, although the boarding pass must be presented to the agent at the airline gate.

New York is now the ninth state to offer digital IDs that work with TSA authentication technology. Other states offering digital IDs include Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland and Utah.

TSA continues to incorporate new technologies into its identity verification process. More information about these programs can be found at www.tsa.gov/digital-id.

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