The Colorado Digital ID, delivered through the myColorado app, is accepted as proof of identity, age, and address at many places inside Colorado, but it is not a universal substitute for your physical license. Executive Order B 2019 013 authorized executive branch agencies and private businesses to accept it, and specific laws and policies have since extended that acceptance to Colorado State Patrol, liquor stores, dispensaries, notaries (starting in 2026), and certain TSA checkpoints.1myColorado. Colorado Digital ID It is not accepted for voting, federal employment verification, entry to federal buildings, out-of-state law enforcement encounters, or most banking transactions. Keep the plastic card with you.
Traffic Stops in Colorado
Colorado State Patrol has accepted the Digital ID since November 30, 2020, and a growing number of local police departments and sheriff’s offices accept it too. Law enforcement agencies were initially exempt from the executive order, though, and adoption is uneven across the state.2myColorado. myColorado FAQs If the officer at your window doesn’t recognize the app, you need to produce a physical card.
Colorado law requires you to have your license in your immediate possession while driving. Not having it is a class B traffic infraction with a fine between $15 and $100.3Justia Law. Colorado Code 42-2-101 – Licenses for Drivers Required4FindLaw. Colorado Code 42-4-1701 – Penalties for Traffic Infractions The myColorado FAQ advises residents to carry the physical license even when they plan to show the Digital ID.
Liquor Stores, Bars, and Dispensaries
Age-restricted retailers in Colorado can accept the Digital ID, and state regulations explicitly support this. Colorado Liquor Rules (CCR 203-2, Regulation 47-912) allow age verification through “any verified digital identification, that is valid and unexpired,” and Colorado Marijuana Rules (CCR 212-3, 3-405) similarly deem “any valid and verified digital identification” adequate.5myColorado. myColorado Businesses
Businesses verify the credential by scanning the QR code with the Colorado Digital ID Verifier (a tool launched in December 2025 for any verifying party to confirm authenticity through the myColorado app), checking the app’s visual security features, or scanning the barcode on the back of the Digital ID as they would with a plastic card.6Colorado Office of Information Technology. Introducing the Colorado Digital ID Verifier in myColorado7myColorado. How to Verify a Colorado Digital ID
Acceptance remains voluntary. No Colorado law requires a private business to take a Digital ID instead of a physical one, and some merchants still insist on plastic based on their own policies or insurance requirements.8myColorado. myColorado Terms of Use A merchant who suspects fraud cannot confiscate your phone, but they can ask to see the card.
State Government Offices
The executive order says executive branch agencies “may” accept the Digital ID where a physical license is normally required.5myColorado. myColorado Businesses That is permissive language, not a mandate. The myColorado Terms of Use spell it out: state agencies “may continue to require you to present a physical government-issued identification, particularly when doing so could help prevent fraud.”8myColorado. myColorado Terms of Use
In practice, many Department of Revenue offices and other state agencies accept the Digital ID for routine interactions like vehicle registration renewals or record updates. For higher-stakes transactions, bringing the physical card avoids any surprises.
Notarizations (Starting January 1, 2026)
As of January 1, 2026, Colorado notaries can formally accept a mobile driver’s license presented through the myColorado app when verifying a signer’s identity. House Bill 25-1076 authorizes the use of a mobile driver’s license, defined as “an official electronic extension of a physical driver license or ID card that resides on a person’s smartphone,” for age and identity verification.9Colorado General Assembly. HB25-1076 Motor Vehicle Regulation Administration Notaries keep discretionary authority to ask for a physical ID if they have concerns.
TSA Checkpoints
TSA accepts Colorado-issued mobile driver’s licenses at checkpoints equipped with credential authentication technology at more than 250 participating airports nationwide. For Colorado residents, the accepted formats are a mobile driver’s license stored in Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, or Samsung Wallet.10Transportation Security Administration. Participating States and Eligible Digital IDs At Denver International Airport, TSA also accepts the Digital ID presented through the myColorado app itself, at both PreCheck and standard lanes.11Transportation Security Administration. TSA Expands Acceptance of Colorado Digital IDs for Identity Verification at Denver International Airport
TSA states the digital ID is not a replacement for a physical ID, and travelers should still carry their physical license or state card. Since REAL ID enforcement began on May 7, 2025, a REAL ID-compliant card (or another federally accepted document like a passport) is needed to board domestic flights.12Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID If your phone dies or a reader malfunctions, the physical card is your backup.
A Note on Privacy
One real advantage of the Digital ID is selective sharing. If a store only needs to confirm you’re 21 or older, you can hide your address and specific birthdate, and the app displays an age indicator confirming you meet the threshold.1myColorado. Colorado Digital ID Verifiers can scan the QR code or view the security features while the phone stays in your hands, so a bartender or clerk never holds your full name, address, date of birth, and license number at once.
Where the Digital ID Does Not Work
Several situations still require a physical card, and showing up with only your phone can mean getting turned away.
Voting
The Colorado Secretary of State’s list of acceptable identification for in-person voting and mail-in ballot verification does not include the Digital ID. Only physical documents qualify, such as a valid Colorado driver’s license, state-issued ID card, or passport.13Colorado Secretary of State. Acceptable Forms of Identification
Form I-9 Employment Verification
The federal Form I-9, which every U.S. employer must complete to verify a new hire’s identity and work authorization, does not accept digital IDs or mobile driver’s licenses. The form requires physical documents from its established lists, such as a physical driver’s license, passport, or permanent resident card.14U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-9 Acceptable Documents The executive order encourages employers to accept the Digital ID for general workplace identification, but it cannot substitute for the federal I-9 requirement.
Federal Buildings and Military Bases
The REAL ID Act restricts which credentials federal agencies can accept for entering federal facilities, boarding commercial aircraft, and entering nuclear power plants.15Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID Frequently Asked Questions The Digital ID does not satisfy those requirements. Entry to federal courthouses, military installations, and similar facilities requires a physical REAL ID-compliant card, passport, or other federally accepted credential.
Outside Colorado
The Digital ID has no legal standing outside Colorado’s borders. Other states are not bound by Colorado’s executive order, and no interstate reciprocity agreement currently exists for recognizing each other’s state-specific digital credentials during law enforcement encounters. Pulled over in another state, you need your physical license. The exception is TSA checkpoints, where Colorado mobile driver’s licenses stored in Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, or Samsung Wallet are accepted at participating airports nationwide.10Transportation Security Administration. Participating States and Eligible Digital IDs
Banks and Strict-Verification Businesses
Banks, car rental agencies, and other businesses subject to federal “know your customer” rules or strict documentation requirements often refuse digital IDs. These entities follow their own compliance frameworks, and many have not updated internal policies to accommodate digital credentials. No Colorado law compels them to accept the Digital ID.8myColorado. myColorado Terms of Use The physical card is the only credential that works everywhere without question.