Germany’s new app-based licence starts this month under a 2026 federal law – several US states have already issued mobile driver’s licenses for years
Key points
- Germany’s federal motor transport authority, the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA), will let drivers add their licence to its free i-Kfz app from late November 2026.
- In the US, mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs) already exist in states including Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, Ohio and Utah, stored in Apple Wallet, Google Wallet or state-run apps.
- The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) accepts mDLs for identity verification at participating airport checkpoints under a final rule issued in October 2024 – but there is still no single nationwide system, since every state regulates its own program.
While Germany is only now adding the driving licence to a government app, several US states built their own mobile driver’s license programs years ago. The result is a state-by-state patchwork rather than one national system.
Germany’s version runs on a narrow legal basis, Section 2d of the Straßenverkehrsgesetz (road traffic act), in force since 14 October 2026, and sits inside the KBA’s existing i-Kfz app. It is voluntary, the plastic card stays valid, and it will not be recognised outside Germany.
How the US mobile driver’s license landscape looks
There is no federal mobile driver’s license law in the US. Instead, the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) sets the technical standard, and each state’s Department of Motor Vehicles decides whether and how to issue an mDL. According to the TSA’s official list of participating states, drivers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, Ohio and Utah can already carry a state-issued mobile ID in Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet or a dedicated state app such as Louisiana’s LA Wallet or New York’s NY MiD, with several other states expanding their programs.
At the federal level, the TSA announced in October 2024 that it would keep accepting mobile driver’s licenses at participating airport checkpoints for identity and REAL ID purposes, confirmed in its final rule press release. The AAMVA’s own mDL implementation guidelines lay out the common technical format states build on, so that a licence issued in one state can, in principle, be read by another state’s systems or by TSA equipment.
What an mDL does not do is replace the physical card everywhere: travellers heading outside a participating state, or outside the US altogether, still need the plastic licence, since no foreign authority recognises a US state’s mobile ID.
Checklist: using a mobile driver’s license in the US
- Check your state DMV’s website to see whether an mDL is offered and which wallet app it uses.
- Keep the physical card on you for travel outside your home state or the country – acceptance is not guaranteed everywhere.
- At the airport, confirm with TSA’s participating-states list whether your state’s mDL is accepted at that specific checkpoint.
Frequently asked questions
Is there one national mobile driver’s license in the US?
No. Each state runs its own program under AAMVA technical guidelines; there is no single federal mDL system.
Does TSA accept mobile driver’s licenses at every airport?
Only at participating checkpoints and only for mDLs issued by a participating state, according to TSA’s October 2024 final rule.
Will Germany’s new digital licence work for US travellers, or vice versa?
No. Germany’s digital licence is valid only inside Germany, and a US state’s mDL is not recognised by German or other foreign authorities.
Sources and status
- TSA: Digital ID – Participating States.
- TSA: Final rule on continued acceptance of mobile driver’s licenses, 24 October 2024.
- AAMVA: Mobile Driver’s License (mDL) Implementation Guidelines.
- Gesetze im Internet (in German): Section 2d, Straßenverkehrsgesetz.
- Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (in German): press release on the i-Kfz app.
Research and data as of: 8 November 2026.
Transparency note: AI-assisted tools were used in researching, structuring and writing this article. The sources used are listed in the article. Publication takes place only after manual editorial approval. Länderfassung auf Basis eines Artikels von Net Trends, für die USA recherchiert. Photo: andibreit / Pixabay, Pixabay Content License.
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