The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has made a special announcement that passengers cannot board with a Costco membership card. However, a digital passport stored in the Apple Wallet can be used as a valid identification for boarding.
Since last month, passengers on domestic flights in the United States must present a REAL ID or a passport, and regular driver’s licenses are no longer accepted. Some “clever individuals” had the idea to pull out their Costco membership cards to try to board. So, the TSA humorously posted on Facebook: “We love Costco hot dogs and rotisserie chicken too, but please don’t say your Costco card can be a REAL ID – it really doesn’t work.”
However, Apple announced last week the launch of a new digital ID feature, allowing travelers to store their passport in the Apple Wallet. Travelers can use their iPhone or Apple Watch to show the digital passport to the TSA, making domestic travel more convenient, but this is only applicable for domestic flights.
Apple has introduced a new digital passport that will be available to Apple Wallet users on the iOS system. The TSA will accept this digital ID to replace physical identification documents, only for domestic flights. Apple announced this new feature at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference on June 9th.
While this new change will make domestic travel more convenient for many iPhone and Apple Watch users, the digital ID cannot replace physical passports and can only be used for domestic flights. The TSA does not accept it for international flights, so passengers still need to present a physical passport when boarding international flights.
Apple’s website stated: “When you use a driver’s license or ID in your Apple Wallet at a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint, you’ll need to use Face ID or Touch ID associated with your driver’s license or ID for identity verification, and then your phone will provide your information to the identity reader.” “Depending on where you present your driver’s license or ID, there may be additional requirements. For example, when you show your driver’s license or ID to the TSA, their identity reader will capture your image for comparison with the image on your driver’s license or ID in Apple Wallet.”
There are some exceptional cases for the availability of digital IDs. Driver’s licenses in Apple Wallet typically require an iPhone 8 or newer, and iOS 16.5 or higher. In California, the ID requires an iPhone XS or newer, and iOS 17.5 or higher. In Puerto Rico, an iPhone XS or newer model is needed, but at least the iOS 18.1 system.
Before using the digital ID at the airport, travelers should ensure that their devices support this feature.