TSA Will Allow Non-REAL ID Mobile Driver’s Licenses Even After Deadline

Some U.S. travelers will be able to use non-REAL-ID-compliant driver’s licenses even after the enforcement date.

On Friday, the Transportation Security Administration and Department of Transportation published a final rule in the Federal Register, establishing a temporary process for states to apply for waivers allowing the use of mobile driver’s licenses regardless of REAL ID compliance and enforcement.

The waiver, effective Nov. 25, will allow Americans to use mobile driver’s licenses to go through airport security in certain states without needing a REAL ID-compliant license, even after the deadline. The TSA expects to make the waiver permanent as more federal guidelines are finalized.

The REAL ID deadline is currently May 7, 2025. The TSA had proposed delaying enforcement to May 5, 2027, but that proposal has not been approved.

A mobile driver’s license, or mDL, is the official government ID version of a credit card stored in your Apple or digital wallet. The TSA calls it “a digital representation of a state-issued physical driver’s license.”

Travelers can use the mobile driver’s license by tapping it against a reader or scanner at airport security, similar to the process for passports or physical driver’s licenses.

Currently, 27 airports are approved to accept mobile driver’s licenses issued by 11 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, Ohio, and Utah. The TSA’s goal is to eventually accept mobile licenses at all airports nationwide.

The decision is partly aimed at encouraging more Americans to use mobile driver’s licenses, especially as the REAL ID deadline approaches.