The Colorado Digital ID, available through the myColorado app, is accepted as valid identification at Colorado State Patrol traffic stops, executive branch state agencies, many retailers checking age for alcohol or marijuana purchases, TSA checkpoints at participating airports, and (starting January 1, 2026) Colorado notaries. It is not accepted for voting, federal Form I-9 employment verification, entry to federal buildings, or by law enforcement in other states, and most banks and car rental agencies still require a physical card. Acceptance by private businesses and some local law enforcement agencies remains voluntary, so carrying your physical license alongside the app is still the safe move.1myColorado. Colorado Digital ID
Where the Digital ID Is Accepted
Executive Order B 2019 013, signed in October 2019, authorized Colorado businesses and executive branch agencies to accept the Digital ID as proof of identity, age, and address. That order set the framework, but acceptance in practice has grown location by location.
Traffic Stops With Colorado State Patrol
Colorado State Patrol has accepted the Digital ID since November 30, 2020. Many local police departments and sheriff’s offices have followed, but not all. Law enforcement agencies were initially exempt from the executive order, so if the officer at your window doesn’t recognize the app, you’ll need to hand over a physical card.2myColorado. myColorado FAQs
Colorado law requires you to have your license in your immediate possession while driving and to display it when a peace officer asks. Failing to have it is a class B traffic infraction carrying 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 tells residents to carry the physical license even when they plan to show the Digital ID, precisely because acceptance varies by agency.
State Government Agencies
The executive order says all executive branch agencies “may” accept the Digital ID where a physical license is normally required. That’s permissive, not mandatory. The myColorado Terms of Use spell this out: state agencies “may continue to require you to present a physical government-issued identification, particularly when doing so could help prevent fraud.”5myColorado. myColorado Terms of Use
In practice, many Department of Revenue offices and other state agencies accept the Digital ID for routine work like renewing vehicle registrations or updating records. Staff can verify a credential using the app’s built-in security features or the Colorado Digital ID Verifier, a QR-code-based tool launched in December 2025 that lets any verifying party scan and confirm authenticity through their own myColorado app.6Colorado Office of Information Technology. Introducing the Colorado Digital ID Verifier in myColorado For high-stakes transactions, bring the plastic card too.
Notaries (Starting January 2026)
As of January 1, 2026, Colorado notaries can formally accept a mobile driver’s license shown through the myColorado app when verifying a signer’s identity. House Bill 25-1076 authorizes the 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.7Colorado General Assembly. HB25-1076 Motor Vehicle Regulation Administration Notaries keep the discretion to ask for a physical ID if they have concerns.
TSA at Participating Airports
TSA accepts Colorado-issued mobile driver’s licenses at checkpoints equipped with credential authentication technology across more than 250 participating airports nationwide. The accepted formats are a mobile driver’s license stored in Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, or Samsung Wallet.8Transportation Security Administration. Participating States and Eligible Digital IDs TSA also accepts the myColorado app’s own Digital ID at Denver International Airport, at both PreCheck and standard security lanes.9Transportation Security Administration. TSA Expands Acceptance of Colorado Digital IDs for Identity Verification at Denver International Airport
TSA is clear that a digital ID is not a replacement for a physical one. Since REAL ID enforcement began on May 7, 2025, you need a REAL ID-compliant card or another federally accepted document like a passport to board domestic flights.10Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID If your phone dies or a reader malfunctions, the physical card is your backup.
Liquor Stores, Bars, and Dispensaries
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.11myColorado. myColorado Businesses Businesses can verify using the Colorado Digital ID Verifier, check visual security features like the floating Columbine hologram and live timestamp, or scan the barcode on the back of the Digital ID.12myColorado. How to Verify a Colorado Digital ID
Acceptance is still voluntary. No Colorado law forces a private business to take a Digital ID instead of a physical one, and some merchants insist on plastic based on their own policies or insurance requirements.5myColorado. myColorado Terms of Use If a merchant suspects a Digital ID is fraudulent, they cannot confiscate the phone but may ask to see the physical card. Confirm acceptance before you get to the register.
Where the Digital ID Is Not Accepted
Several important 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 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 completes to verify a new hire’s identity and work authorization, does not accept digital IDs or mobile driver’s licenses. It requires physical documents from its established lists, such as a 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 I-9 requirement.
Federal Buildings and Military Bases
The REAL ID Act sets minimum security standards for state-issued identification and 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 these requirements. Federal courthouses, military installations, and similar facilities require a physical REAL ID-compliant card, passport, or other federally accepted credential.
Law Enforcement Outside Colorado
The Colorado Digital ID has no legal standing outside Colorado’s borders. Other states aren’t 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. If you’re pulled over in another state, you’ll 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.8Transportation 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 haven’t updated internal policies for digital credentials. No Colorado law compels them to accept the Digital ID.5myColorado. myColorado Terms of Use
A Privacy Advantage When It Is Accepted
When a verifier does take the Digital ID, you get more control over what they see than a plastic card allows. If a store only needs to confirm you’re 21 or older, you can hide your address and even your specific birthdate. The app shows an age indicator confirming you meet the threshold without revealing the extra details.1myColorado. Colorado Digital ID
You also never have to hand your phone over. Verifiers can scan the QR code or view the security features while the device stays in your hands. With a physical card, the bartender or clerk sees your full name, address, date of birth, and license number all at once.
The Practical Bottom Line
The Digital ID is a convenience layer, not a replacement. It works well for state agencies that have opted in, retailers doing age checks, Colorado State Patrol stops, and TSA lines at participating airports. It won’t get you into a federal courthouse, past an I-9, into a voting booth, or out of a traffic stop in Wyoming. Keep the plastic card in your wallet.