Apple Announces iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Come to These Additional U.S. States

[MacRumors]

In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The list of states where the feature is available currently includes Arizona, Maryland, Colorado, Georgia, Ohio, Hawaii, and most recently California, and Apple today announced that Montana, New Mexico, and West Virginia are now committed to supporting the feature in the future.

Apple also announced that users will soon be able to present their Wallet app ID in person for select services, including CLEAR member enrollment at airports. The feature will also be supported in the CLEAR, MyChart, and Uber Eats apps soon.

In 2022, Apple said Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Utah were also committed to offering driver's licenses in the Wallet app, but none of those states have rolled out the feature yet, and it is unclear if any still plan to. The feature has yet to expand beyond the U.S., but it will work with Japan's My Number Card eventually.

Participating Airports

Apple Wallet app IDs can be used at select TSA checkpoints within select U.S. airports:

• Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
• Denver International Airport (DEN)
• Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
• Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport (CVG)
• John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH)
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
• San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC)

Apple says travelers should refer to TSA checkpoint signage to confirm availability of the feature, and the TSA's website offers more details.

Article Link: Apple Announces iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Come to These Additional U.S. States

 

[cocky jeremy]

I'm glad Columbus got added. Hopefully they add Austin, both Dallas airports, O'Hare, and Minneapolis and I'll be set.

 

[ghostface147]

Meanwhile my home state, Texas, is behind the curve again.

 

[CarAnalogy]

I was kind of hoping they'd be able to push digital identity forward more with this feature. But they are dealing with governments. And at a time when a lot of governments are making a lot of noise against them.

 

[Ukyank1]

It’s so annoying that the U.S. doesn’t just have 1 national ID to use

 

[DblHelix]

Finally ca.

 

[IIGS User]

1: I’m not handing my phone to the cops.

2: You don’t HAVE to hand your phone to the cops, participation is optional. If you don’t want to hand your phone to the cops, carry your license.

3: Close thread.

 

[Orange Bat]

This is one of those things that I’m not sure I’d ever use. There will never be a time in my life where I won’t carry a driver’s license with me, and I’m not a big fan of handing over my phone to government officials. Some things just sound better than they really are.

 

[dannyyankou]

Annoying New York doesn’t have it yet, but they have an app made by IDEMIA. Other states started with an IDEMIA app and transitioned to wallet support.

 

[That70sGAdawg]

It's really only recognized at select airports at this time. I went through the trouble of setting it up only to realize I STILL have to carry around actual license for everything else..Not worth it yet

 

[Mazda 3s]

Ok, stupid question. What about police and traffic stops? You have your license on your iPhone and hand it over to the cops. Wouldn’t they have full access to your phone, pictures, etc?

I ask because I just tested with my iPhone. I double pressed the power button to bring up my wallet. It immediately performed a Face ID scan. I would then presumably scroll to my drivers license (NC doesn’t have it yet) and then hand it to the officer. They then take my phone and walk back to their vehicle.

However, once that first ID scan is performed, I can swipe from the bottom without another scan and have full access to my phone. That would seemingly be problematic.

Please correct me if I’m wrong.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

Ok, stupid question. What about police and traffic stops? You have your license on your iPhone and hand it over to the cops. Wouldn’t they have full access to your phone, pictures, etc?

I ask because I just tested with my iPhone. I double pressed the power button to bring up my wallet. It immediately performed a Face ID scan. I would then presumably scroll to my drivers license (NC doesn’t have it yet) and then hand it to the officer. They then take my phone and walk back to their vehicle.

However, once that first ID scan is performed, I can swipe from the bottom without another scan and have full access to my phone. That would seemingly be problematic.

Please correct me if I’m wrong.

Considering every state that is participating in Apples digital drivers license specifies you have to carry/use your real drivers license to prove identity I'd say no need to hand over your phone. Just give them your state issued drivers license like your supposed to. These digital licenses only work at the airports listed in the first post. That might change but I doubt it. Each state makes their own requirements for license/id regulations so it will be complicated to iron out

 

[hise]

1: I’m not handing my phone to the cops.

2: You don’t HAVE to hand your phone to the cops, participation is optional. If you don’t want to hand your phone to the cops, carry your license.

3: Close thread.

This is valid, but I'm not handing my phone to anyone when there is another option. I'm shocked how many people are eager to do so.

 

[mcilwraith]

How about the 51st state? UK??

 

[Lucas Curious]

keep your license in the car visor and hand that to the cop. use watch for anything else if needed. I find my iPhone mini is even lighter without the apple wallet attached. Not that you need ID to vote but I suspect digital IDs like this will make it even easier for voter and ID fraud. before you start blasting me, with your feelings, I live in both california and chicago and my family member works for the elections and they are trained not to ask for ID

 

[WiseAJ]

Probably at least a decade away or two from Oregon getting with the times.

 

[DblHelix]

If getting rejected try removing your glasses. Redid it with them off and was approved.

 

[Algr]

1: I’m not handing my phone to the cops.

I ask because I just tested with my iPhone. I double pressed the power button to bring up my wallet. It immediately performed a Face ID scan. I would then presumably scroll to my drivers license (NC doesn’t have it yet) and then hand it to the officer. They then take my phone and walk back to their vehicle.

And once they have your phone, they can put CP on it and two years later when you finally get to trial the verdict won't mean a thing. You'll have lost everything and everyone you know.

 

[koil]

Other countries exist Apple... just build a ****ing API and let countries and states do the rest of the work integrating with it, it shouldn't be much more complicated than what you already have with PassKit, how is this taking decades...

 

[repoman016]

Sounds to me like we've got a bunch of law breakers around these parts

 

[HMWausau]

It's really only recognized at select airports at this time. I went through the trouble of setting it up only to realize I STILL have to carry around actual license for everything else..Not worth it yet

Eh, that's kind of the same as ApplePay. Some places take it, but not everywhere, so you still have to carry your credit card around.

 

[jaytv111]

Ok, stupid question. What about police and traffic stops? You have your license on your iPhone and hand it over to the cops. Wouldn’t they have full access to your phone, pictures, etc?

I ask because I just tested with my iPhone. I double pressed the power button to bring up my wallet. It immediately performed a Face ID scan. I would then presumably scroll to my drivers license (NC doesn’t have it yet) and then hand it to the officer. They then take my phone and walk back to their vehicle.

However, once that first ID scan is performed, I can swipe from the bottom without another scan and have full access to my phone. That would seemingly be problematic.

Please correct me if I’m wrong.

You are wrong. This always has to be explained over and over again, so here we go.

The Apple Wallet ID system is not taken by a single police department in the country (or the world). It is taken by TSA in a few select airports. In those airports, you scan your phone at an Apple Pay-esque terminal. No TSA officer takes your phone at all, it never leaves your hand.

Alternatively, there are states that made mobile ID acceptable to police, Louisiana for instance. In that state, they had to change the law to make it acceptable to have the officer scan a barcode on the app. Even in those instances you do not hand your phone over, they scan it on their mobile device.

Now since it gets asked every time, what if the officer says he needs your phone cuz his reader isn't working? Well I'm not sure but if his reader isn't working then I think they just do a warrant check on the radio with your name. They still don't need your phone. I think it's on them to make sure the reader is working. But it shouldn't be necessary to hand anything over, the law was changed specifically to enable mere scanning of a barcode in the mobile app to be allowed. But if you're suspicious or whatever, then carry your plastic ID, it's still a thing.

What if the cop grabs my phone from my hand? Then he broke the law, what do you want me to do about it?

 

[HMWausau]

keep your license in the car visor and hand that to the cop. use watch for anything else if needed. I find my iPhone mini is even lighter without the apple wallet attached. Not that you need ID to vote but I suspect digital IDs like this will make it even easier for voter and ID fraud. before you start blasting me, with your feelings, I live in both california and chicago and my family member works for the elections and they are trained not to ask for ID

There's no way just viewing the ID on the screen is adequate for anything whatsoever. It would be painfully simple just to create a fake.

The only way this works is if who's looking at it has access to a reader, either with RFID or with a QR code of some sort on the screen that then verifies the ID against a master database.

The major downside now is that every time your ID gets scanned, it's tracked by the government. Eg, you could show your ID to get into a bar, and only you and the bouncer would know. However, if it gets scanned, now the government knows where you go and how often.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

I started setting this up at work and the head gestures had me looking clinically insane. Definitely set this up in the privacy of your own home.

 

[Ukyank1]

The major downside now is that every time your ID gets scanned, it's tracked by the government. Eg, you could show your ID to get into a bar, and only you and the bouncer would know. However, if it gets scanned, now the government knows where you go and how often.

Many bars scan your physical ID now & it doesn’t get tracked by the government so not sure why this would be any different.