Get ready to swap paper for pixels, jetsetters, as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is taking a bold step into the digital future! Thanks to a fresh collaboration with the State of Maryland and Google, TSA now accepts Maryland-issued mobile driver's licenses and ID cards via Google Wallet on Android mobile devices at select airport security checkpoints.
This revolutionary feature will be available for TSA PreCheck® passengers at 25 participating airports, including Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. This marks an exciting step forward in making your journey through security more efficient and hassle-free.
"TSA's partnership with Google and Maryland spotlights our commitment to implementing new technologies and expanding the use of mobile driver's licenses," said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. "This launch represents the first mobile driver's license in Google Wallet. We continue to work closely with other states on deploying this capability across the country. TSA is committed to collaborating on international, open standards that provide enhanced security, and privacy protections and offer airline passengers a more efficient and convenient travel experience."
So, how does it work? Simple. As passengers approach the podium at the first station in the security screening process, they may consent to provide their mobile identification from Google Wallet. Just turn on Bluetooth and hold your Android smartphone or watch to the second-generation Credential Authentication Technology (CAT-2) reader device.
Your digital identity information from the mobile driver's license is securely encrypted and transmitted digitally to CAT-2. Here, your real-time camera photograph will be compared against the encrypted mobile identity information from Google Wallet and your reservation data that would have been on your boarding pass. Once the CAT-2 confirms the identity match, a TSA officer will verify the match, and you'll be whisked off to the security screening - without the need to exchange a boarding pass.
Don't fancy facial matching? No worries, passengers can opt-out of an alternative identity verification process. Plus, the real-time live camera photograph and the mobile identification information are not kept, transmitted, or used for any purpose other than immediate identity verification by a TSA officer.
But remember, even if you're utilizing this newfangled tech, you must still carry and have readily available your physical driver's license or identification card, or other acceptable ID listed on the TSA website. A physical ID may still be required for identity verification.
Keen to hop on the digital ID train? TSA advises eligible travelers to complete the process of adding the mobile ID to their Google Wallet before arriving at the TSA checkpoint.
TSA introduced this concept of the mobile driver's license in April 2021 as part of President Biden's Executive Order on Transforming Customer Experience. Their interest in this technology is fueled by the security and privacy enhancements mobile driver's licenses offer compared to physical cards.
Curious to learn more? Head on over to tsa.gov/digital-id for further information on all digital identity solutions accepted at select TSA checkpoints. This may be the beginning, but we will see more steps toward digital innovation in the future, making air travel smoother, safer, and more efficient for all of us explorers!
