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Apple’s passport-based Digital ID is currently most useful at participating TSA checkpoints for domestic U.S. flights. Apple says the feature is available in beta at more than 250 U.S. airports, but support can vary by checkpoint, terminal, or lane. It is not a digital passport, does not replace your physical passport for international travel, and is not automatically accepted by every business that accepts identification.
Think of it as a convenient TSA credential and a selective way to verify your identity or age—not as permission to leave all physical identification at home.
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Where Apple Wallet Digital ID works today
| Use | Current status |
|---|---|
| Participating TSA checkpoints | Confirmed current use for identity verification before domestic flights. |
| Domestic U.S. flights | Yes, where the specific TSA checkpoint supports Digital ID. |
| International flights and border control | No. Carry and present your physical passport. |
| Select businesses and venues | Possible, but acceptance depends on the business and its technology. |
| Apps and websites | Only where the service has integrated Apple’s Verify with Wallet system. |
| Hotels, rental-car counters, bars, stores, police, and government offices | Do not assume acceptance. |
Apple describes the airport rollout as covering more than 250 U.S. airports. That is not a guarantee that every security lane at those airports is equipped. Look for Digital ID or mobile-ID signage and confirm with the airport or TSA before relying on it.
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TSA’s acceptable-identification rules can change, so carry a physical passport, passport card, REAL ID-compliant license, or another accepted credential as backup.
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What Apple’s passport-based Digital ID is—and isn’t
Digital ID is created from an authentic, unexpired U.S. passport. It is stored in Apple Wallet and can share selected identity information after you authorize each request. It is not a passport issued for digital use, and it does not carry the legal or international-travel rights of the physical document.
It is also separate from state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards in Apple Wallet. Apple currently lists participating jurisdictions including Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, West Virginia, and Puerto Rico. Those state IDs have different issuing authorities, availability rules, and possible uses. See Apple’s ID in Wallet page for the current list.
Can Digital ID replace REAL ID?
It can provide an alternative way to verify your identity at a participating TSA checkpoint, including for someone who does not yet have a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license. But it is not itself a REAL ID license and is not a universal replacement for REAL ID in other federal or state contexts.
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What you need before setting it up
- An authentic, unexpired U.S. passport
- An iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26.1 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later running watchOS 26.1 or later
- Face ID or Touch ID
- Bluetooth turned on
- An Apple Account with two-factor authentication enabled
- A stable Wi-Fi or cellular connection
- Your device region set to the United States
- The passport holder to be at least 13 years old
Apple says one Digital ID can be associated with one iPhone and paired Apple Watch combination per Apple Account at a time. Setup requires the physical passport, so complete it before your trip—not at the airport.
How to create Digital ID on an iPhone
- Open the Wallet app.
- Tap the Add Card (+) button.
- Tap Driver’s License or ID Cards.
- Select Digital ID.
- Choose whether to add it to the iPhone alone or to the iPhone and paired Apple Watch.
- Scan the passport’s photo page.
- Use the iPhone to read the passport’s embedded chip.
- Take a selfie when prompted.
- Complete the requested facial and head movements for the liveness check.
- Authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID and wait for approval.
For a failed chip scan, remove a thick phone case, keep the passport flat, and move the phone slowly over the passport’s chip area. Good lighting and a sharp, undamaged passport photo page also help.
Apple’s full requirements and troubleshooting guidance are in its Digital ID support document.
How to present Digital ID at TSA
On an iPhone with Face ID
- At a participating TSA identity reader, double-click the iPhone’s side button.
- Tap the Digital ID card.
- Hold the top of the iPhone near the reader.
- Review the information TSA is requesting.
- Double-click the side button and authenticate with Face ID to authorize sharing.
- Wait for the checkmark and Done confirmation.
On an iPhone with Touch ID
- Double-click the Home button and select Digital ID.
- Hold the iPhone near the reader.
- Review the requested information.
- Keep a finger on the Home button to consent.
- Wait for confirmation.
On Apple Watch
- Select Digital ID when prompted.
- Hold the Apple Watch display near the identity reader.
- Review the requested information.
- Double-click the watch’s side button to authorize.
- Wait for the checkmark and Done.
You do not need to hand the device to a TSA officer or display the entire Wallet screen. TSA may capture your image to compare it with the image associated with the Digital ID. An officer can still request physical identification or apply additional screening.
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Can you use it in apps and online?
Yes, but only when the app or website has implemented Apple’s verification flow. In a compatible app or App Clip, tap Verify with Apple Wallet, review the requested information, and approve with Face ID or Touch ID. In Safari, tap Verify Identity and authorize the request.
A Mac or iPad request may appear on a nearby iPhone signed in to the same Apple Account. A normal website that asks you to upload a passport image is not automatically compatible with Digital ID.
Apple’s developer documentation describes potential categories such as air travel, alcohol sales, car rental, financial services, government services, healthcare, hospitality, insurance, ticketing, physical access, and scooter rentals. These are integration categories—not a directory of businesses that accept every Wallet ID. The service must support Verify with Wallet, and it may support a state ID without supporting passport-based Digital ID.
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Before approving a request, you can review the data it seeks. Depending on the transaction, that may include an age-over threshold, age in years, name, address, date of birth, document number, issue and expiration dates, nationality, photo, driving privileges, or REAL ID compliance.
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Apple says compatible apps receive an encrypted response through its API rather than unrestricted access to the Wallet card. Apple also says you control each presentation and that it cannot see when and where the ID is presented. That does not mean enrollment involves no data processing: Apple’s privacy documentation says information used during setup, including verification imagery and device-related information, may be processed for authorization and fraud prevention.
What Digital ID cannot replace
- A physical passport for international travel: You still need it to enter or leave another country, cross a border, or pass a foreign passport inspection.
- Every form of REAL ID: Digital ID is not a state driver’s license or a universal federal credential.
- Proof of driving privileges: A passport-derived identity credential is not the same as a state-issued license.
- A physical document requested by a business or authority: The organization’s policy controls.
Do not assume a hotel, rental-car desk, bar, retailer, airline counter, police officer, DMV, federal building, or foreign authority must accept the Wallet card.
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The checkpoint does not accept it
Ask whether that specific TSA checkpoint supports Apple Wallet Digital ID, look for mobile-ID signage, and present a physical accepted credential. Do not argue from the airport-count announcement; equipment can vary by checkpoint.
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The reader does not detect the phone or watch
Hold the top of the iPhone or the Apple Watch display near the reader and keep it still briefly. Confirm Bluetooth is on, remove a bulky case, try the other device if available, and use your physical backup if it still fails.
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Enrollment fails
Check the passport’s validity, lighting, NFC scan, liveness movements, hardware, software, region, Apple Account security settings, and internet connection. If you move to another iPhone, Apple says to transfer the ID during Setup Assistant; you may need to remove the existing ID before adding it to the new device.
Your passport is renewed or revoked
The Wallet credential is derived from the specific passport used during enrollment. If that passport is replaced, revoked, or otherwise no longer valid, delete and recreate Digital ID with the new passport when required. Apple’s security documentation explains the credential’s relationship to the source document.
Your phone battery dies
Do not assume a dead iPhone will make the credential available. Carry a physical accepted ID, especially when flying.
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No, if you already have an iPhone 11 or later with iOS 26.1 or later and an unexpired U.S. passport. An Apple Watch Series 6 or later is optional. Buying a new device solely for Digital ID is difficult to justify while acceptance remains limited; consider an upgrade only if you also want the device’s broader features.
Is Apple Wallet Digital ID worth setting up?
It is worthwhile as a convenience if you fly domestically, have an eligible passport and device, or want selective age and identity verification without handing over more information than a transaction requests. It is not sufficient by itself for international travelers, border crossings, law-enforcement encounters, government services, or any situation where a specific physical document is required.
Set it up at home, verify your likely TSA checkpoint, and keep your physical passport or another TSA-accepted ID with you. That makes Digital ID useful without turning a beta, checkpoint-dependent feature into a travel risk.
