The day when our smartphones will finally replace our physical leather wallets is getting closer and closer. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has just announced that it will allow the use of driver’s licenses and state ID cards in digital wallets. From now on, if you have an Apple Watch and Apple Wallet, you may be able to get through security checks at US airports faster.
However, there is a big catch to this whole thing: even though the technology works and is legally permitted, you must still carry your physical ID card as a mandatory backup. You can use your digital ID at the airport… but don’t even think about leaving your physical driver’s license at home!
How does digital ID work?
The federal program being rolled out at airports in the United States is called the “Digital ID Program.” It depends not only on the TSA and technology platforms (such as Google and Amazon), but also on whether the state that issued your driver’s license has signed a partnership agreement. This is why not all driver’s licenses can be digitized yet.
Once we arrive at the airport, the verification process is completely contactless. To use it, you must go to a checkpoint equipped with a specialized reader, a CAT-2 (Credential Authentication Technology). Once there, you hand your documentation to a TSA agent. The traveler simply holds their phone or smartwatch close to the reader. The iPhone or Android then asks you to use your Face ID or Touch ID to authorize the sending of the encrypted information.
Unlike physical ID cards, which reveal all your personal data, the advanced encryption system allows only the minimum required information to be sent to the TSA reader, which seems to be a major advantage in terms of privacy and security.
For now, the use of digital ID is only accepted for domestic flights within the United States. If you are going to a terminal where international travel is taking place, you will not be able to use this type of technology. The law requires us to present a passport or official international travel document… No one outside our country seems to care that we know how to drive according to the state of Colorado.
The limitations of Digital ID
Although T S.A. allows the use of digital ID, this does not mean that we can use it without carrying a physical ID document with us. The fact is that there is still a lot of infrastructure to be installed. After all, there are more than 440 airports in the United States, and not all of them have installed the CAT-2 readers needed to read digital wallets. Even airports that do participate in the program may only have these digital readers in specific terminals. Therefore, it is best to check what you can and cannot do on the official TSA website before catching a flight.
Imagine if your battery dies… it would be like losing your passport in the bathroom. You don’t want to take that risk, do you? If something goes wrong—even the airport reader—the TSA agent will simply ask you for your physical ID to verify your information the old-fashioned way.
Another severe limitation is the agreements between states and technology companies. For example, residents of Hawaii and Ohio can only use their digital ID through Apple Wallet. Meanwhile, other states such as Arizona, California, Colorado, and Georgia do allow the use of Apple, Google, and/or Samsung Wallet.
In other cases, the state requires the use of a completely separate application. The state of Utah, for example, requires travelers to present their digital ID through the GET Mobile ID application.
For now, it seems that we are going to experience a transition period in which we will be halfway between digital and analog documentation. The best thing to do is to be careful and always have options: keep our ID card in order on our cell phone… But also carry our passport and driver’s license in our wallet every time we take a flight. Better safe than sorry (or in this case, missing a flight).