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Live in These States? Go Through TSA With a Digital Driver’s License

iPhone users in select states can show airport security a digital version of their identification stored on their Apple Wallet.

If you’re flying over the holidays, there’s a lot to keep track of: Your tickets, your luggage, your loved ones and more.

Almost all airlines will let you use a digital version of your boarding pass. Now some states are allowing residents to clear airport security with a digital version of their driver’s license or other approved identification stored in their Apple Wallet.

Rather than root through your pocketbook, all you have to do is flash your iPhone or Apple Watch.

“The addition of driver’s licenses and state IDs to Apple Wallet is an important step in our vision of replacing the physical wallet with a secure and easy-to-use mobile wallet,” Jennifer Bailey, vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, said in a statement in 2021.

It’s not quite a universal game-changer yet: While 12 states have committed to digital IDs, only three have officially started accepting them. And while the airport you depart from might accept a license on your Apple Watch, you might not be extended the same courtesy on the return trip.

The Transportation Security Administration is already supporting the technology at select airport security checkpoints, though. So it’s really a question of when, not if the option becomes available nationwide.

Here’s what you need to know about putting your driver’s license in your Apple Wallet, including how to do it and which states recognize digital IDs.

Read more: Homeland Security Postpones Deadline for Real ID at Airports

How do I add my driver’s license to my Apple Wallet?

Apple built the technology to upload your ID to your Apple Wallet into iOS 15 for the iPhone. The process is similar to how you would add a new credit card.

First, tap the “plus” button at the top of the screen in Wallet. (If you have an Apple Watch paired to your iPhone, it will ask you about adding your license there, as well.)

You’ll then scan your physical driver’s license with your iPhone’s camera and take a selfie, “which will be securely provided to the issuing state for verification,” according to Apple.

You’ll also be asked to complete a series of face and head movements “as an additional security step.”

Once your ID has been verified by the state that issued it, it will be added to your Wallet.

To be able to add your license or ID to Apple Wallet, it will need to be issued from a participating state. In addition, you’ll need:

  • An iPhone 8 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 4 or later, with the latest version of iOS or WatchOS
  • Face ID or Touch ID turned on
  • An Apple ID with two-factor authentication turned on
  • Your device region set to the US

Also, only passengers with TSA PreCheck on their boarding pass are eligible to flash digital licenses, according to the TSA website, though the agency said it plans to add the option for other passengers in the future.

Only one license or ID can be added to an iPhone and paired Apple Watch at a time.

Which states accept digital ID?

Apple initially announced in 2021 that eight states were participating in the program, then bumped the number to 12 this year.

But those are states committed to accepting Apple Wallet IDs, not that currently do.

Right now, only Arizona, Colorado and Maryland support the digital identification feature — and only at select security checkpoints at these airports:

  • Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport
  • Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
  • Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma and Utah have all agreed to support the initiative, as has Puerto Rico, though specific timetables have not been announced.

Other states are expected to join this roster: Last year Bailey said Apple was “already in discussions with many more states.”

And in November, the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles said it was “exploring” the digital ID option.

“There is a proviso that created a study committee on the idea and they are still undergoing research,” spokeswoman Maranda Williams told The State, a Columbia, South Carolina, news outlet.

Separate from Apple’s efforts, some states allow residents to upload their driver’s licenses to their phones through state-operated apps, like Louisiana’s LA Wallet. But these are for driving and age verification purposes and are not accepted by TSA yet.

How do I use a license stored in my Apple Wallet at TSA?

To present your digital ID, tap your iPhone or Apple Watch on the identity reader at the security checkpoint.

You’ll then be prompted to authenticate your identification with Face ID or Touch ID.

If it’s successful, a checkmark should appear on the screen.

According to Apple, “you don’t need to unlock, show or hand over your device [to a TSA agent].”

Is this technology secure?

According to Apple, it is.

A statement on the Apple Support website says the program uses the same privacy and security features already in the iPhone and Apple Watch to prevent tampering and theft.

“Your driver’s license or state ID data is encrypted,” it said. “Neither the state issuing authority nor Apple can see when and where you use your license or ID, and biometric authentication using Face ID and Touch ID helps make sure that only you can view and use your license or ID.”

The TSA has also endorsed digital IDs.

“Digital identity has the ability to strengthen airport security and enhance the passenger experience by reducing touchpoints, providing greater privacy, and verifying IDs more accurately,” the agency said in a statement.

If my state accepts digital IDs, do I still need my physical license at the airport?

Yes. The program is still in its infancy, and there’s no guarantee the checkpoint you use will be set up to accept a driver’s license on your Apple Wallet.

“All passengers must continue to have readily available their physical driver’s license,” according to the Transportation Security Administration website. “The TSA officer may require this physical ID in addition to the digital ID.”

Where else can I use my digital ID?

With the rollout of iOS 16 in June, apps that require age or identity verification should now be able to accept ID cards stored in your Apple Wallet app, Apple said. Uber Eats and car-share service Turo were cited as two apps that could potentially offer this functionality, according to MacRumors, but neither has officially done so.

Apple added that retailers, restaurants and other venues will make use of the feature in the future.

Digital IDs are not currently accepted by police or departments of motor vehicles.

I have an Android phone. Can I upload my ID to Google Wallet?

In a December 2022 system update, Google announced it was beta testing allowing Android phone users to upload their driver’s licenses to Google Wallet “for convenient, private and secure presentation.”

Google said the feature would be available in “selected US state(s),” it didn’t indicate which ones or when.

Read more: Smartphones Traded Wow Factor for Peace of Mind in 2022

Technologies

Verum Exchange Launches a $10 Bonus for Online Mining of Verum Coin and Bitcoin

Verum Exchange Launches a $10 Bonus for Online Mining of Verum Coin and Bitcoin

Verum Exchange is expanding its online mining capabilities, allowing users to earn a $10 bonus while continuing to mine cryptocurrency directly from their smartphones. The feature is available not only in the currency converter app but also within Verum Messenger.

Online mining has long been part of the Verum ecosystem. Now, the company has added a new incentive to the existing feature — a bonus for participating in online mining.

The concept of online mining is changing the traditional perception of cryptocurrency mining. Users do not need to set up specialized mining equipment at home or deal with complex technical configurations. The feature can be accessed directly through the Verum digital ecosystem.

Verum Exchangehttps://exchange.verum.im 
Verum Messengerhttps://ios.verum.im

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Technologies

Supreme Court permits certain Trump mail-in voting restrictions before midterm elections

The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a lower court ruling that prevented the Trump administration from implementing new restrictions on mail-in voting, allowing the administration to proceed with its plan to impose new requirements on states ahead of the midterm elections.

The Supreme Court on Monday sided with President Donald Trump for now in his effort to impose sweeping new restrictions on distributing mail ballots, putting on hold a lower-court ruling that had blocked key parts of the plan ahead of November’s midterm elections.

The justices, over three dissents, paused a ruling by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston that prevented the Trump administration from carrying out portions of a March executive order involving the U.S. Postal Service and voter eligibility lists. The court’s three liberal justices dissented.

But the decision does not immediately allow the Postal Service to put its new mail-ballot system into effect.

A separate nationwide injunction issued Aug. 11 by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston still blocks USPS from implementing the new procedures for the Nov. 3 elections. The administration would have to overcome that order as well.

The distinction was central to the Supreme Court’s decision.

The majority said Trump’s executive order itself does not require states to change how they conduct elections. Instead, it directs federal agencies to develop policies that could later impose requirements on states. Because those policies had not yet been implemented when 23 states and Washington, D.C., challenged the order, the court said the challenge was premature.

The justices stressed they were not deciding whether Trump’s order or the policies developed under it are ultimately legal.

“The Court’s disposition of this application does not mean that any measure taken by the Government to implement the Order will necessarily be lawful,” the majority wrote. “On that score, time will tell.”

The Postal Service last week finalized rules intended to carry out part of Trump’s order, including new requirements involving ballot envelopes, barcodes and information states must provide USPS. Those rules remain blocked by Talwani’s separate injunction.

The case now returns to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals as the underlying legal fight continues. Some states have already started preparing to send ballots to military and overseas voters in early September.

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Technologies

Trump targets Iran’s trade lifelines — here are the countries most exposed

Washington’s threat of “economic D-Day” collides with a small group of governments that account for most of what remains of Iran’s foreign trade.

The U.S. announced an “economic D-Day” campaign Monday to isolate Iran from the global economy, threatening penalties against “enablers” that continue doing business with Tehran.

The move is part of Washington’s bid to sever the trade lifeline that has sustained Tehran’s economy through nearly six months of war.

While enforcement details are sketchy, the threat could still put the U.S. on a collision course with some of Tehran’s major trade partners.

China

China is the biggest buyer of Iranian oil and serves as a crucial link to the global economy for Tehran, accounting for about 90% of its oil exports, according to the U.S. government.

China reported $9.96 billion in bilateral trade with Iran in 2025, excluding the roughly $31.2 billion in unreported Iranian crude oil exports to China that year, according to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.

Independent Chinese refiners take in the bulk of it, often rebranded as Malaysian or Indonesian crude and settled through intermediaries outside the dollar system, according to Kpler. The U.S. Treasury has sanctioned several of those refineries this year for Iranian oil purchases, while sparing Chinese financial institutions.

Beijing has openly opposed U.S. sanctions against Iran, arguing that economic pressure will not resolve the disputes. In May, China ordered domestic firms to disregard U.S. sanctions on five refiners linked to the Iranian oil trade.

While Beijing is unlikely to push back directly on Washington’s sanctions push, it will “quietly step up compliance” among state banks and oil companies to avoid getting caught in the net, said Dan Wang, China director at Eurasia Group, pointing to “a dichotomy between the official statement and the private practice.”

“Chinese authorities care more about dollar access in financing and market entry to the U.S.,” she said.

United Arab Emirates

The Emirates, located just 50 miles from Iran across the Persian Gulf, has long been a major trading hub for Iran.

The bilateral trade amounted to around $28 billion in 2024, when the Emirates was its largest source of imports, contributing over 30%, according to the World Trade Organization data. The UAE was also Iran’s third-largest export destination, making up 12% of its shipments, totaling more than $7 billion.

That relationship hit a snag last week as the UAE moved to suspend all trade and financial transactions with Iran, following two ballistic missiles fired toward Emirati territory, one of which targeted UAE-owned tankers.

Iran has relied on UAE banks and its financial system to access the world economy through illicit, often murky transactions, and cutting off Iran would require more forceful actions from Emirati authorities to crack down on opaque financial and trading activity, according to U.S.-based think tank The Washington Institute.

“The majority of Iran’s transshipment, smuggling, and shadow banking activity takes place in Dubai, so Washington must do what it can to help the UAE’s national leaders in Abu Dhabi convince and cajole Dubai’s leaders to play ball,” Matthew Levitt, a former U.S. Treasury official, wrote in a note on Monday.

Turkey

Turkey maintains significant commercial ties with Tehran, importing Iranian natural gas and exporting manufactured goods south.

The Turkey-Iran bilateral trade reached $5.7 billion in 2024, according to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with Ankara exporting mostly machinery and parts, chemical and agricultural products, while importing energy products from Tehran.

Meanwhile, under a 25-year gas supply contract between the two countries that expired at the end of July, Turkey’s imports of Iranian gas spiked this year while Iran’s share of Turkey’s total natural gas imports rose to 18.6%, according to local media.

While Ankara has sought to diversify toward other suppliers, expanding pipeline imports from Azerbaijan and Russia, it has, so far, not signaled that it intends to cut Iran off.

Iraq

Iraq, dependent on Iranian electricity and gas, has historically traded billions with Tehran.

Iran renewed a five-year contract in March 2024 to supply Iraq with up to nearly 660 billion cubic feet of natural gas a year, and electricity imports from Iran accounted for more than 30% of its electricity generation in 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Iraq-Iran trade reached more than $10 billion in 2025, according to Reuters, with Tehran exporting food, consumer goods and other products to the Iraqi market. The trade has dwindled this year amid increased security risks in the region and intermittent disruptions along border crossings since the war started in late February.

Iraq reportedly pays Iran around $4 billion to $5 billion a year for natural gas for electricity generation. The fresh U.S. sanctions could curtail Baghdad’s payments for Iranian energy.

India

India, among Iran’s top five trading partners, has seen its bilateral trade with Iran fall in recent years to around $1.6 billion in the year ending March 2026, according to India’s Department of Commerce, down from $2.3 billion in the year through to March 2023.

New Delhi primarily exports rice, tea, sugar and pharmaceuticals to Iran, and imports dry and fresh fruits from Iran.

In April, India resumed importing crude oil from Iran following a seven-year halt, after the U.S. temporarily lifted sanctions on Iranian crude exports.

But those trades now will be tested if Washington makes good on its threat to sanction any entity, including Indian refiners, that have procured Iranian energy.

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