The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced it will now begin accepting New York-issued mobile driver licenses (mDLs) at its checkpoints via the use of digital ID readers nationwide.
Travellers can now use the New York Mobile ID app to prove their identity when undergoing checkpoint screening processes instead of a traditional photo ID and boarding pass.
All state residents are eligible to download and utilise the app, provided they have been issued a standard license, permit or non-driver ID card by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.
DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder, said:Digital credentials are the future of identity verification, and New York is proud to be among the States leading this innovation in partnership with the TSA.
This is an exciting way to prove who you are without having to dig through your wallet or purse to find your physical document. Rather than handing over your physical ID with lots of personal information, the Mobile ID gives you greater control over what personal data you share, making it both more convenient and much safer for you.
To date, the technology is in use at 28 airports across the US, including John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia. Each checkpoint is equipped with a set of digital ID readers, as well as a camera to capture a real-time image of each passenger, which is deleted once each passenger has cleared the security checkpoint.
The introduction of the digital IDs makes New York the ninth state in the nation to offer the service, joining Arizona, California, Georgia, Iowa, Colorado, Louisiana, Utah and Maryland in the move to a digital system.
