CA travelers encouraged to download driver's license on phone before flying this holiday season

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The Transportation Security Administration is working to make sure end-of-year travel goes smoothly for everyone in the coming weeks.

They say they're expecting their busiest days at bay area airports on both Thursday and Friday of next week.

With Christmas less than two weeks away, the TSA is bracing for an estimated 1.4 million travelers to be screened across Bay Area airports between Friday and the rest of the year.

"When we're talking about peak volumes, we know that we need to make it as efficient as possible, TSA has been planning for holidays, literally for months," Lorie Dankers, a TSA spokesperson said.

For those with California driver's licenses, the TSA is encouraging travelers to download the California DMV wallet, then download your mobile ID and at select checkpoints at SFO, SJC and LAX, you can now use your mobile ID for identity verification instead of your physical driver's license.

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The TSA is predicting its busiest season ever and it says it all kicks off Friday with the start of Thanksgiving travel.

"That's new this holiday season, we're encouraging people to do it and try it out, I think they're going to like it," Dankers said. "Here's why we like it, one less thing that travelers have to do, makes things go quicker and so instead of looking for that ID in your pocket or purse, everybody knows where their phone is at any moment.

And the process to sign up is simple and free on the California DMV mobile app.

"Just go ahead and activate that, present that, it will bring up your photo, it will do a real time facial matching and you'll be allowed into the security checkpoint, it's a great system and we encourage people to try it out," she said.

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But once you get to bag screening, TSA is still reminding folks to use gift bags instead of wrapping paper for gifts in case they need to be screened and check any liquids more than 3.4 ounces.

"People bring all kinds of different things in, this is the reason it's not allowed in because it's a blade, so no blades of any type whether it's a razor blade or this type of blade," she said.

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Millions of people are headed home after the Thanksgiving holiday. But SFO passenger numbers are still below where they were before the pandemic.

TSA added that they have a few new x-ray machines at select checkpoints this year, that generate a 3D x-ray image of the contents of your bag, meaning, that in some cases, you get to leave everything in your bag, even if you don't have TSA pre-check.

They say, just pay close attention to the instructions from TSA officers in your bag check line.

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