Which states allow digital driver's licenses for REAL ID federal travel purposes?

1. REAL ID’s reach: physical and digital IDs are covered

The federal REAL ID Act and implementing regulations set minimum standards for state-issued driver licenses and ID cards and explicitly cover both physical and digital (mobile) driver’s licenses, meaning a state’s mDL program must meet REAL ID standards before its digital credential is acceptable for federal purposes like air travel ^[1].

2. The May 7, 2025 enforcement timestamp matters

Multiple official state pages and TSA guidance treat May 7, 2025 as the date when REAL ID enforcement for air travel takes effect; after that date, only REAL ID-compliant credentials—or acceptable alternatives such as a passport—are accepted at TSA checkpoints ^{[2] [5] [6] [7] [8] [1]}.

3. States are rolling out digital licenses — but acceptance for federal travel is not uniformly documented

Reporting and state announcements show several states launching or expanding digital driver’s license programs for retail or state purposes (Georgia’s mDL accepted at participating retail locations is cited, and some reporting says digital licenses expanded to multiple states) ^{[3] [4]}. However, available sources do not provide a definitive list of which states’ digital licenses meet REAL ID standards and are accepted specifically for federal travel purposes; the TSA source warns federal agencies may not accept noncompliant physical or digital licenses ^[1]. In short: states may issue mDLs for many uses, but that does not automatically mean those mDLs are approved for REAL ID federal travel uses ^{[3] [1]}.

4. Where to find the authoritative answer — state DMV + TSA guidance

Because REAL ID compliance involves both state issuance processes and federal acceptance, the only reliable way to confirm whether a state’s digital license can be used for REAL ID travel is to consult (a) your state’s DMV/driver licensing agency for whether its mDL is REAL ID-compliant and marked accordingly, and (b) TSA/ federal guidance for whether digital credentials from that state are accepted at checkpoints ^{[2] [5] [1]}. Several state pages emphasize the star/marking convention and in-person document checks required to make a license REAL ID-compliant ^{[5] [2]}.

5. Conflicting or promotional reporting to watch for

Some secondary outlets and summaries claim rapid expansion of digital IDs to many states (one article claims digital licenses expanding to 14 states or that Apple Wallet acceptance has rolled out to hundreds of airports) but those claims are not confirmed by the TSA or the state DMV pages provided here; treat such summaries as potentially promotional and verify with primary state or TSA pages ^{[4] [1]}. The WTOC piece on Georgia documents a clear, limited use-case (age verification at retail) and explicitly notes Georgia’s digital license does not replace the physical card while driving ^[3].

6. Practical guidance for travelers right now

If you plan to fly domestically and want to rely on a state-issued digital license for REAL ID purposes, do this: check your state DMV’s REAL ID page to confirm whether your digital credential is REAL ID-compliant and how it’s marked (star/flag/EDL), and confirm with TSA or airport sources that the airport checkpoint you’ll use accepts that state’s digital credential. If you cannot confirm, carry a passport or another federally acceptable form of ID ^{[1] [8]}.

Limitations and transparency: available sources confirm the federal rule covers digital IDs ^[1] and show states launching mDL programs for nonfederal uses ^{[3] [4]}, but the set of provided sources does not contain a vetted, state-by-state list of mDLs that are officially accepted for REAL ID federal travel purposes. Not found in current reporting: a definitive list matching each state’s digital license to federal acceptance for TSA checkpoints.