Residents of the US state of California can now generate and store a digital version of their driving licence or state ID card on their Apple or Android smartphone and use it to verify their identity at selected Transportation Security Administration (TSA) airport security checkpoints and confirm their age when making age-restricted purchases in selected stores.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles is trialling its CA DMV Wallet app with 1.5 million state residents, enabling them to download the app and scan their physical driving licence or ID card in order to add a digital version to the CA DMV Wallet on their smartphone.

Participants in the voluntary pilot will only be able to store the digital credential in the department’s own app, rather than in wallets such as Apple Wallet, and will need to continue carrying their physical documents because law enforcement, state government agencies and many businesses are yet to accept the digital credentials.

Participants will, however, be able to use their mobile driving licence at TSA checkpoints in both San Francisco International and Los Angeles International airports and test the app’s TruAge function — a QR code-enabled age verification feature — when purchasing age-restricted products at selected retail outlets in Sacramento.

A short video shows how users can upload their digital driving licence to their mobile device.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles announced in June 2023 that it would begin piloting digital driving licences for age verification in stores.

Next: Visit the NFCW Expo to find new suppliers and solutions