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Digital forms of identity enable the passenger to seamlessly and
securely transmit identity information using facial recognition at
select TSA checkpoints.
Use your smartphone for identity verification with digital identity solutions like mobile driver’s licenses or ID passes, now accepted at select TSA checkpoints through platforms such as Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, and Samsung Wallet or a state-issued app. TSA sees only the necessary information to verify your identity, providing a faster, more secure travel experience while reducing the risk of fraudulent documents. However, all passengers must still carry a physical ID for verification.
Be sure to follow the setup instructions from your device wallet, app, or airline before your next trip to ensure it’s ready to present at TSA checkpoints.
TSA officers now use biometric cameras to assist them with identity verification. The photo is optional. Your photo and personal data are deleted after your identity is verified**. Images are not used for law enforcement, surveillance and not shared with other entities. Tell the officer if you do not want your photo taken. You will not lose your place in line.
TSA and DHS Privacy Impact Assessments
At a CAT2, you have four options for presenting your identification: tap or scan your digital ID, or show your driver's license, state-issued ID, or passport.
If you choose to participate in TSA’s use of these technologies, your picture will be taken and compared with your physical ID or digital ID.
To use a digital ID, add your state-issued eligible driver’s license or identification card, or ID pass to your phone using a TSA-approved digital ID app or to your digital wallet (Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, or Samsung Wallet).
If you decide to decline the optional photo, notify the officer before presenting your ID.**
Digital IDs allow passengers to securely and seamlessly share their identity information through facial recognition at select TSA checkpoints.
Participation is optional: Must opt-in to participate in the TSA PreCheck Touchless ID program during check-in with participating airlines and airports. Store your participation preference, TSA PreCheck KTN and Passport Number in the airline’s mobile app.
By opting in, you can use a dedicated TSA PreCheck Touchless ID line by presenting your boarding pass with the TSA PreCheck Touchless ID indicator. Your identity will be verified without needing to present an ID at bag drop, the security checkpoint, or the boarding gate — just by using facial recognition. All you need is your face. This TSA PreCheck Touchless ID program is exclusive to TSA PreCheck members. Not a TSA PreCheck member? Enroll today!
TSA PreCheck Touchless ID participating airlines and locations:
Delta Airlines (ATL, DCA, DTW, JFK, LAX, LGA, SLC)
United Airlines (ATL, DCA, EWR, LAS, LAX, LGA, ORD, SLC)
No. Facial recognition technology is voluntary. Tell a TSA officer if you do not wish to participate. The officer will use the standard ID verification process.
Yes. Currently, all passengers must continue to have physical IDs on hand. If a digital ID cannot be verified at the TSA security checkpoint, a passenger must use an acceptable physical identity document (e.g., driver’s license, passport) for identity verification.
Yes. TSA is committed to protecting passenger privacy. Under normal operating conditions TSA facial recognition technology deletes traveler data and images immediately after your identity is verified. If you use TSA PreCheck® Touchless Identity Solution, your information is deleted 24 hours after your scheduled departure time.
In rare instances TSA will collect and temporarily retain photos and data to test the accuracy of TSA’s facial recognition technology. These data collection mode events are limited in time and place and begin with passenger notification signs. If you decline to participate you will receive standard identity verification and will not lose your place in line.
We secure all personal data and images used or temporarily stored by our facial recognition technology. Additionally, all of TSA’s facial recognition technologies adhere to DHS and TSA cybersecurity requirements.
Digital IDs such as mobile driver’s licenses are more secure than physical credentials, which can be counterfeit or fraudulent. Digital IDs are also more private because you only share the information TSA needs to verify your identity - nothing more. The acceptance of digital IDs has the potential to modernize checkpoint screening procedures and technologies to better serve the aviation security ecosystem, reduce points of contact for passengers, and pave the way for a more seamless travel experience. This effort is one of the steps TSA is taking under President Biden’s Executive Order on Transforming Customer Experience.
TSA posts signs at checkpoints using facial recognition technology. The traveler’s right to decline a photo is highlighted in the sign, on passenger-facing screens, in officer advisements, and on TSA.gov. Also, TSA publishes Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) to notify the public about facial recognition technology and additional information on privacy protections.
TSA’s use of biometric solutions is based on rigorous scientific study and analysis. We are aware of a variety of public concerns related to the accuracy of facial recognition and other biometric technologies and take those concerns seriously. We study biometric solutions in both laboratories and operational environments to identify and mitigate performance issues. Accuracy and equity in biometric system performance are key issues for TSA and travelers alike. TSA works closely and regularly with external stakeholders to provide timely and detailed updates on our facial recognition technologies and the benefits they provide to secure and convenient travel.
Facial recognition technology and digital IDs partially automate the ID and boarding pass verification process for more efficient and secure screening.
Facial recognition technology and digital IDs improve the performance and security of TSA operations by increasing the accuracy and reliability of passenger identity verification. Facial recognition technology automates part of the current manual procedures and allows professional screening personnel to leverage their training and experience to focus more on alarms and error resolution.
ID pass is available to all U.S. passport holders.
No. TSA is using facial recognition technology at the airport to improve and automate identity verification of passengers, not for law enforcement or immigration enforcement purposes. Additionally, TSA does not tolerate racial profiling. Profiling is not an effective way to perform security screening. TSA personnel are trained to treat every passenger with dignity and respect.
A digital ID is an electronic representation of personally identifying information (PII) that may be used to verify the identity of a person.
A mobile driver's license is a type of digital ID issued by a state. It is a digital representation of the information contained on a state-issued physical driver’s license or ID card that is stored on a mobile electronic device such as a smartphone and read electronically through a secure transaction. Use of a mobile driver’s license requires biometric verification prior to each transaction.
A digital ID may also be issued by a non-governmental entity based on information derived from governmental or non-governmental sources.
If TSA is unable to obtain a match through facial recognition technology, the TSA officer will use standard passenger identity verification procedures.
TSA prioritizes the health and safety of our officers and the traveling public.
Some of our Travel Document Checker positions offer travelers the ability to insert their own ID cards and passports into readers. Personal devices with digital IDs and mobile driver’s licenses should always be presented by the traveler and should never be handled by the TSA officer.
Some of our Travel Document Checker positions also have Plexiglas panels to retard the airflow between travelers and officers.
TSA PreCheck® Touchless Identity Solution, currently in operational assessment, eliminates the need for travelers to present a passport, ID card, or personal device with a digital ID. Instead, the traveler volunteers to allow TSA to match their live photo with a stored photo from a passport or other source document. (Travelers should always carry a physical form of acceptable ID.) For travelers opting in to TSA PreCheck Touchless Identity Solution, their face is their ID.
Consistent with the DHS Fair Information Practice Principles (FIPPs), TSA retains personally identifiable information (PII) only for as long as is necessary to fulfill the specified purpose(s) of testing the accuracy of facial recognition technology. DHS FIPPs and TSA’s PIAs provide guidance on matters such as transparency, specific use limitations, data minimization, and purpose specification for our facial recognition technology. Additional information on data protection procedures for each test is available in TSA’s PIAs. In short, TSA informs the traveler in advance of data collection, securely transits the data and images for testing, then deletes the data.
When enforcement begins for REAL ID, TSA will accept digital IDs that are compliant with the 6 CFR Part 37: Minimum Standards for Driver’s Licenses and Identification Cards Acceptable by Federal Agencies for Official Purposes; Waiver for Mobile Driver’s Licenses.
No. TSA only receives a passenger’s digital identification information at TSA checkpoints with the passenger's consent. Passengers control access to and use of the digital ID kept in their mobile device. TSA does not copy or store the digital ID, unless it is done in a limited testing environment for evaluation of the accuracy of facial recognition technology. In that instance, TSA informs the passenger through signs, advisements, PIAs on tsa.gov and other means.
