Yes, valid online digital IDs exist and are increasingly accepted, particularly for travel and government services. Common forms include state-issued mobile driver's licenses (mDLs) in Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, and Clear, which are accepted at select TSA checkpoints. ID.me is also used to verify identity for government services.
Mobile driver's licenses, or mDLs, are digitized versions of the information on physical, State-issued driver's licenses and identification cards, and are stored on mobile electronic devices such as smartphones. REAL ID enforcement began on May 7, 2025.
CAN I USE THE DIGITAL NATIONAL ID FOR TRANSACTIONS? Similar to other formats of the National ID (i.e., card and paper), the Digital National ID has no expiration and shall be honored and accepted in all transactions requiring proof of identity and age, subject to proper authentication.
Many U.S. states offer digital driver's licenses or IDs, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia, with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) accepting them at select airports, often integrated with Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, or Samsung Wallet. Louisiana also has its own digital ID (LA Wallet), while other states like Montana, Connecticut, Kentucky, and Mississippi are exploring or planning programs, with adoption expanding for airport security, age verification, and other uses.
Digital ID gives more people a way to create and present an ID in Apple Wallet even if they do not have a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or state ID. Digital ID is not a replacement for a physical passport, and cannot be used for international travel and border crossing in lieu of a U.S. passport.
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Digital IDs are increasingly accepted at U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints for domestic air travel from specific states (like AZ, CA, CO, GA, MD, NM, NY, OH, UT, VA, WV), some local businesses, law enforcement, and government agencies, with wider acceptance growing, but you must carry your physical ID as backup, notes this Forbes article and this USA Today article. Acceptance varies by state and issuer (Apple, Google Wallet, or state apps), so check your state's DMV or the TSA's website.
REAL ID alternatives for air travel and federal purposes include U.S. passports/cards, DHS Trusted Traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS), Permanent Resident Cards, U.S. Military IDs, Enhanced Driver's Licenses (EDLs), and Foreign Passports, among others, with the key being a federally accepted, non-REAL ID compliant document. If you have one of these, you don't need a REAL ID for domestic flights.
Digital IDs can be in the form of an app, QR code or encrypted file. In their simplest form, they can contain the same data as your physical IDs, however they can also collate information from several different physical IDs together.
Go to the official website: https://national-id.gov.ph/.
While digital ID systems provide security features that mitigate some issues with paper-based systems, they also increase some risks, such as data loss, data corruption, or misuse of data due to unauthorized access.
Digital IDs such as mobile driver's licenses are more secure than physical credentials, which can be counterfeit or fraudulent. Digital IDs are also more private because you only share the information TSA needs to verify your identity - nothing more.
Digital IDs can improve convenience, but they risk surveillance, data misuse, and exclusion if not designed with privacy, security, and accessibility safeguards. Digital IDs are increasingly replacing physical ID cards and can streamline identity verification both online and offline, but they also introduce new risks.
The government has abandoned plans to make digital ID cards mandatory for workers just months after Sir Keir Starmer proudly announced them. Sky News understands digital IDs will no longer be required for the right to work by the end of this parliament, set for 2029.
These states support digital IDs on iPhones right now
To get a digital ID, you generally download a specific app (like Apple Wallet or Google Wallet), select your state or document, scan your physical ID (driver's license/passport) and verify your identity with a selfie or biometric scan, then submit for approval, with acceptance varying by location and service.
Two valid forms of ID usually require a combination of a primary photo ID (like a driver's license or passport) and a secondary document (like a Social Security card or utility bill), though sometimes one strong primary ID (like a passport) suffices, or two documents (one photo, one signature) are needed if the primary lacks both. The key is that both must generally be unexpired, original, and meet the specific requirements of the organization requesting them, often for proof of identity and sometimes address.
To support your identity, you'll generally need government-issued documents like a Passport, Driver's License, or State ID (primary photo ID), plus supporting documents for secondary verification, such as a Birth Certificate, Social Security Card, or utility bills, depending on the specific requirements of the entity requesting the ID.
No, you generally cannot use your Social Security card as a standalone ID because it lacks a photo and physical description, but it is crucial for proving your Social Security Number (SSN) for employment, taxes, and government benefits, often used as a secondary document alongside a primary photo ID like a driver's license or passport for things like opening bank accounts or getting a REAL ID.
Your ID on your phone
Yoti is the free digital ID app that gives you a safe way to prove your identity or age to organisations using your phone. What you can do with your digital ID: prove your identity to businesses and individuals (not for alcohol / licenced premises)