Iowa mDL now on Apple Wallet as list of TSA-eligible digital ID options grows

Mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs) and ID for Iowa residents can now be added to Apple Wallet on iPhone and Apple Watch. A release on the official state of Iowa website says users can present ID in Apple Wallet in person at select TSA checkpoints, including the Des Moines and Eastern Iowa Airports, plus businesses and venues across the U.S., including Apple Stores.

The addition of Iowa mDLs to Apple Wallet is the latest step in the growing push to offer mDLs as valid ID for travel at TSA checkpoints and businesses and organizations requiring age verification. There are now 11 states that issue mDLs or digital IDs eligible for TSA screening: Iowa, plus Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Ohio, New York, Louisiana and Utah.

All but the last three are on Apple Wallet. West Virginia, Montana and New Mexico have also committed to launching their TSA-eligible mDLs with support for Apple Wallet.

New York, Louisiana and Utah TSA-eligible IDs are only available through state apps. Five state mDLs are on Google Wallet: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia and Maryland.

Iowa’s TSA-eligible digital credentials are now available on Apple Wallet, Samsung Wallet and the Iowa Mobile ID app. For Samsung Wallet, the state’s Department of Transportation (DOT) collaborated with Idemia, which has also supported mobile ID on Samsung Wallet in Arizona. Maryland is the third state to offer its mDL on Samsung Wallet.

Iowa’s website has complete information on how to add a driver’s license to Apple Wallet, which encrypts personal information and enables users to share only the data necessary for a given transaction via a scanner, without handing over their device.

The rollout of mobile or digital driver’s licenses across the U.S. is proving to be a slow, piece-by-piece process. Some forecasts have put the time needed to achieve full coverage at ten years.

Article Topics

Apple Wallet  |  digital ID  |  Iowa  |  mDL (mobile driver's license)  |  mobile app  |  TSA