- Get to know Apple Wallet for iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad
- Which states let you add your driver’s license and ID to Apple Wallet?
- How to add a driver’s license or ID to Apple Wallet
Apple’s handy digital wallet recently released a new feature. It allows iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad users to store valid driver’s licenses and state IDs digitally. That means if you’re ever stopped in your car, all you’d have to do is open Apple Wallet and show your digital driver’s license to the officer. However, not all U.S. states support this form of identification yet. Find out which two states support this Apple Wallet functionality, and learn what other states might soon join.
Get to know Apple Wallet for iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad
An iPhone X displays apps, including Apple Wallet | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Apple Wallet is a digital wallet by Apple Inc. The app was previously known as Passbook. Apple Wallet has been around since 2012, but the tech company continually updates Wallet with the latest capabilities. Apple users can utilize this digital wallet on compatible iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch devices because Wallet supports iOS and watchOS.
According to Apple, the core features of Wallet include digitally storing credit cards, debit cards, boarding passes, vaccination cards, event tickets, and transit cards. In addition, users can also store digital keys to unlock their hotel room, home, or car. Another new Apple Wallet feature lets users store their driver’s license or state ID.
Which states let you add your driver’s license and ID to Apple Wallet?
Big news: Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma and Utah are the first states that will let iPhone users store their driver's license digitally in Apple Wallet! pic.twitter.com/fAUZHPgu6B
— Rich DeMuro (@richontech) September 1, 2021
If Apple Wallet is safe enough to store credit and debit cards, it should keep driver’s licenses and state IDs safe and credible. However, although the new functionality allows users to add their driver’s licenses and state IDs to Wallet, not all states view this ID storage as credible.
According to Apple, only two U.S. states — Arizona and Maryland — support adding driver’s licenses and state IDs to Wallet. This functionality is still relatively new, becoming available throughout Arizona in March 2022 and Maryland in May 2022. Although only Arizona and Maryland consider driver’s licenses and state IDs valid through Apple Wallet storage, other states plan to follow suit soon.
They include Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Utah. In addition, this functionality should soon be available in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.
How to add a driver’s license or ID to Apple Wallet
Driver’s license and state ID functionality isn’t available to all iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch users yet. But the good news is that adding digital documents to Apple Wallet is easy. It takes only four steps:
- Tap the plus sign in the Wallet app, and select your state.
- Scan the front and back of your ID when prompted.
- Confirm your identity by answering the questions.
- Send your credentials to your state DMV for approval.
Another important note is that ID functionality is not available on all Apple devices. According to Apple, this functionality is supported only on iPhone 8 or later running iOS 15.4 or later and on Apple Watch Series 4 or later running watchOS 8.4 or later.
Overall, once you add your ID or driver’s license to Apple Wallet, you can easily present your digital ID at airports, traffic stops, bars, clubs, or wherever you need to show identification.
Keyword: Only 2 States Let You Add Your Driver’s License to Your iPhone — for Now