WASHINGTON– In collaboration with the State of Arizona and Samsung, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is now accepting, for limited testing and evaluation purposes, Arizona-issued mobile driver’s licenses and identification (ID) cards in Samsung Wallet on Samsung mobile devices at select TSA airport security checkpoints. Passengers will be able to use this new feature at checkpoints for identity verification at 27 participating airports.
“With the addition of Samsung, TSA now accepts, from participating states, mobile driver’s licenses and ID cards in multiple digital Wallets on devices from multiple manufacturers,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “Our Samsung partnership spotlights our commitment to expanding options for eligible passengers to use mobile driver’s licenses. TSA is committed to implementing new technologies that improve security effectiveness and collaborating on international, open standards that provide enhanced privacy protections, while also offering airline passengers a more convenient and efficient travel experience.”
To present their ID in Samsung Wallet at a participating TSA checkpoint, passengers will approach the podium at the first station in the screening process. The passenger may consent to provide their mobile identification from Samsung Wallet by simply turning on Bluetooth and holding their Samsung Galaxy smart phone on the second-generation Credential Authentication Technology (CAT-2) reader device.
The digital identity information from the mobile driver’s license is encrypted and transmitted digitally to CAT-2, where the passenger’s real-time photograph will be compared against the encrypted mobile identity information from Samsung Wallet and the reservation data that would have been on the passenger’s boarding pass.
Once the CAT-2 confirms the identity match, a TSA officer will verify the match and the passenger will proceed to security screening — without ever exchanging a boarding pass. TSA officers may perform additional passenger verification if needed. The real-time, live camera photograph and the mobile identification information are not stored, transmitted or used for any purpose other than for the immediate identity verification by a TSA officer. Passengers who do not wish to participate in facial matching may opt out in favor of an alternative identity verification process and will not lose their place in line.
With IDs in Samsung Wallet, digital identification data is encrypted and securely transmitted digitally, eliminating the need for passengers to show or hand over their device to a TSA officer. All passengers, including those traveling through security with an Arizona mobile driver’s license or ID, must continue to carry (and have readily available) their physical driver’s license or identification card, or any other acceptable ID listed on the TSA website. A physical ID may be required for identity verification.
TSA recommends that eligible travelers complete the process of adding the mobile ID to their Samsung Wallet before arriving at the TSA checkpoint. Mobile driver’s licenses are accepted in both standard and TSA PreCheck® screening lanes.
TSA introduced the concept of the mobile driver’s license in April 2021 with a notice in the Federal Register and a press release announcing a request for information regarding mobile driver’s licenses. This is one of the many steps TSA is taking under President Biden’s Executive Order on Transforming Customer Experience.
TSA’s interest in this technology is driven by security and privacy enhancements provided by mobile driver’s licenses compared to physical cards. For more information on all digital identity solutions accepted at select TSA checkpoints, visit tsa.gov/digital-id.
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