California’s digital ID is a free mobile version of your driver’s license or state ID card, officially called a mobile driver’s license, or mDL, that you load onto your smartphone through one of four approved wallet apps. The California DMV runs it as a pilot, and about 1.7 million Californians were already using it as of early 2026. You can present it at TSA airport checkpoints and a growing list of retailers, but it does not replace the plastic card you have to carry when you drive.
Who Qualifies
You need a valid, unexpired California driver’s license or state ID. Minors cannot enroll. If your physical card is suspended, revoked, or expired, you cannot sign up, and an mDL tied to a card that later becomes invalid stops working on its own.1California Department of Motor Vehicles. mDL Q&A There is no fee.2Transportation Security Administration. TSA at SAN Accepting California Mobile Drivers Licenses During Identity Verification Process
The pilot is capped at 4.2 million participants.3California DMV. CA DMV Wallet If enrollment is full when you try, you’ll have to wait for the DMV to raise the cap or move to a full public launch.
Which Wallet to Use
Four wallets can hold the California mDL, and they do not all do the same things.
The CA DMV Wallet is the DMV’s own app, available for iPhone and Android. It is the most capable option: TSA checkpoints, TruAge age verification in stores, logging into MyDMV, and applying for a disabled person parking placard all work through it.1California Department of Motor Vehicles. mDL Q&A
Apple Wallet lets you add your license on an iPhone or Apple Watch. Open Apple Wallet, tap the plus sign, choose “Driver’s License or State ID,” and follow the prompts. Use is limited to select TSA checkpoints, businesses with compliant readers, and apps that ask for identity or age.4California DMV. mDL in Apple Wallet
Google Wallet on Android adds the mDL through “Add to Wallet,” then “ID card.” It currently works only at participating airports.5California DMV. mDL in Google Wallet
Samsung Wallet was added in April 2026 and works at select TSA checkpoints, with broader uses expected over time.6Governor of California. California Expands Mobile Drivers License to Samsung Wallet, Continuing DMVs Digital Transformation
If you want to buy alcohol, tobacco, or other age-restricted products at a store, the CA DMV Wallet is the only one that supports TruAge retail verification today.7California DMV. California mDL
Phone Requirements
Your phone has to meet a minimum. For the CA DMV Wallet on iPhone, that’s an iPhone XS or later running iOS 17.5 or above, or an Apple Watch Series 4 or later on watchOS 10 or above. On Android, you need Android 9 or above with NFC hardware.3California DMV. CA DMV Wallet The iPhone XS and iOS 17.5 floor also applies to Apple Wallet.4California DMV. mDL in Apple Wallet You’ll also need a working camera and biometric security (Face ID, fingerprint, or equivalent) switched on.
How to Set It Up
Download the CA DMV Wallet from the App Store or Google Play. Sign in with your MyDMV account. If you don’t have one, create it first; you’ll need your Social Security number, name, address, and date of birth.8Department of Motor Vehicles. California DMV – Adding License Endorsement
The app walks you through scanning the front and back of your physical license or ID. Use good lighting and make sure the text and barcode are sharp; the DMV says it may take a few tries. Next you take a selfie, then a liveness scan where a sequence of lights is projected onto your face from the screen to confirm you’re a real person. Hold the phone steady at eye level, pick a plain indoor background, and take off sunglasses.1California Department of Motor Vehicles. mDL Q&A
After you submit, the DMV checks your information and photo against its records. Approval can take up to three business days. If you’re rejected, you can try again; common reasons include expired cards, blurry scans, and data that doesn’t match the DMV’s file. Use the most recent card the DMV has issued you.1California Department of Motor Vehicles. mDL Q&A
Where You Can Actually Use It
The most dependable use today is airport security. The mDL works at participating TSA checkpoints at airports including LAX, SFO, and SAN, and others around the country.7California DMV. California mDL You hold your phone, Bluetooth on, over the reader; the system authenticates you; you confirm on your screen. You never hand your phone to the officer.5California DMV. mDL in Google Wallet
For age-restricted retail purchases, the CA DMV Wallet works through TruAge at participating stores. Apple Wallet also works at businesses with compliant ID readers and in apps that need to verify identity or age.1California Department of Motor Vehicles. mDL Q&A
Within the CA DMV Wallet, you can also sign into your MyDMV account and apply for a disabled person parking placard using the mDL as your identity credential.1California Department of Motor Vehicles. mDL Q&A
You Still Have to Carry the Physical Card
The mDL does not replace your plastic license when you drive. California Vehicle Code Section 12951 requires every driver to have a valid physical license on them while operating a motor vehicle on a highway.9California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 12951 – Signature and Display of Licenses Law enforcement does not currently accept the mDL, and the DMV says the same thing in plain terms: keep carrying your card.1California Department of Motor Vehicles. mDL Q&A Refusing to display a license to a peace officer under Section 12951(b) is classified as a misdemeanor rather than an infraction.10California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 40000.11 – Misdemeanors
Privacy, and What Happens If You Lose Your Phone
The mDL is built to share less than a physical card does. When you present it, the verifier only receives the data relevant to that transaction, so a store checking your age does not see your home address. The DMV says usage is not tracked and no data leaves your device without your consent.3California DMV. CA DMV Wallet Verification runs over QR codes or NFC tap-to-verify depending on the wallet and setting, and your phone stays in your hand.
If you lose the phone, biometric security on the device blocks unauthorized use, but you should still deactivate the credential remotely. Apple Wallet users can lock or erase the device through Find My or iCloud.com. Google Wallet users can delete the mDL at myaccount.google.com. Samsung Wallet users can erase or lock the device through SmartThings Find.1California Department of Motor Vehicles. mDL Q&A Your physical card stays valid either way, which is one more reason not to rely on the mDL as your only ID.