NEW YORK –The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is now accepting New York-issued mobile driver licenses (mDLs) at checkpoints with digital ID readers nationwide.
Travelers who have downloaded the New York Mobile ID app to their smart phone can use that for identity verification during the screening process in lieu of handing over a physical photo ID and boarding pass to the TSA security officer at the entry to the checkpoint.
The State of New York has made the New York Mobile ID available to all state residents at no additional cost. First make sure that you have been issued a license, permit, or non-driver ID card by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Then just download the New York Mobile ID app from the App Store or Google Play to add it to your smartphone.
“We are pleased to be able to add this state-of-the-art digital ID to the list of acceptable IDs at our security checkpoints,” said Robert Duffy, TSA’s Federal Security Director for LaGuardia Airport. “Travelers who want to take advantage of this new capability will find that their New York mobile ID is a convenient option when going through 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 the TSA,” said DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder. “This is an exciting way to prove who you are without having to dig through your wallet or purse to find your physical document. Rather than handing over your physical ID with lots of personal information, the Mobile ID gives you greater control over what personal data you share, making it both more convenient and much safer for you,” he said.
New Yorkers can use their TSA approved Digital ID for identity verification at the checkpoint at John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia Airports, and at 26 other airports where TSA has credential authentication technology units. These units are equipped with digital ID readers and a camera that captures a real-time photo of the traveler to match the face of the person with the face on their ID. After the TSA officer clears the person into the checkpoint, the photos are deleted.
The units are also able to verify that an individual is ticketed for air travel that day, so the traveler does not need to show a boarding pass to the TSA officer, although a boarding pass is needed to present to the airline gate agent.
New York is now the ninth state that offers digital IDs with interoperability with TSA’s credential authentication technology. The other states offering digital IDs are Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland and Utah.
TSA continues to integrate new technologies into its identity verification process. Read more about these programs at www.tsa.gov/digital-id.