Coloradans can use mobile driver’s licenses to verify identity at airport security

Coloradans can use a new mobile driver’s license to get through security checkpoints at all airports in Colorado, including Denver International Airport, and other airports across the country, Gov. Jared Polis announced Monday. 

U.S. Transportation Security Administration will now accept a Colorado mobile driver’s license, or mDL, through the myColorado mobile app or a mobile phone’s digital wallet as proof of identity. The mDL, which is REAL ID compliant, is distinct from the Colorado Digital ID, which residents can use in the state during traffic stops and to verify their name, age and address at businesses and state agencies.

“We have been working on this for years and now the federal government will accept your myColorado app identification at airport security,” Polis said in a statement. “Airport travel can be stressful but we are making it easier, and more convenient to get through TSA at more than 250 airports across the country using the myColorado app.”

Coloradans should still carry their physical ID as a backup, according to Polis’ office and TSA. Colorado is one of 21 states that offers an mDL accepted by TSA. 

Credential Authentication Technology, which scans a person’s face at the airport and compares it to the photos on their ID, is equipped to read Colorado’s new mDL. People traveling through airport security can present a QR code associated with the mobile driver’s license to the TSA agent instead of their physical ID or boarding pass.

“The process of verifying identities is fundamental to ensuring transportation security,” TSA Colorado Federal Security Director Douglas Cruz said in a statement. “By enabling travelers to use mobile driver’s licenses, we are leveraging technology to strengthen security and streamline our operations. Our TSA officers are fully trained to accept and process myColorado mDLs, and we are glad to provide this convenient option for those departing DEN and our other state airports.”

More than 2 million Coloradans use the myColorado app for digital IDs, Colorado Parks and Wildlife licenses and vehicle registrations, Polis said. Users who already have the app will see a new tab to add their myColorado mDL to their mobile app and digital wallets. 

In 2023, TSA began to accept digital Colorado IDs at TSA PreCheck checkpoints at the Denver airport.