iPhone Driver's License Support in Wallet Expands to New Mexico

[MacRumors]

iPhone users from New Mexico are now able to add their driver's licenses and IDs to the Apple Wallet app on iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a digital version of the license that can be used in lieu of a physical card in some locations.

New Mexico residents can add a license or state ID to the Wallet app by opening it up, tapping on the "+" button, and following the instructions to complete a verification process.

Digital IDs can be used at select TSA checkpoints across the United States, in some businesses and venues, and in some mobile apps for verifying age. New Mexico has developed an app called NM Verifier that is available in coordination with the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department for verifying digital IDs.

"Having a cell phone and mobile device with you at virtually all times is simply a fact of life these days. This new capability adds one more level of convenience for us all," New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Secretary Stephanie Schardin Clarke said in a statement.

As of right now, a digital license or identification card does not replace the physical version, and New Mexicans are required to have a physical license available when driving.

Apple first announced Wallet support for digital IDs in 2022, and states have been slowly adopting the feature since then. As of right now, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Hawaii, California, Ohio, Iowa, and New Mexico have implemented support.

Acording to Apple, Connecticut, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Utah, Montana, and West Virginia are also working to implement the feature.

Article Link: iPhone Driver's License Support in Wallet Expands to New Mexico

 

[SteveLV702]

Just need to be available all 50 states and all businesses…. Hate having to carry my physical wallet just for my drivers license. All my cards are on my phone and everything else.

 

[aorr]

Yay! I’ve been waiting for this!

 

[IIGS User]

"I live in (insert state here) and they don't support it." (I live in one of these backwards states, and it sucks)

"I'm not handing my phone to the cops." (you don't have to, and you still need your physical card to do pretty much anything. If you don't want the cops to touch your phone, just carry your regular license and don't participate).

How is WV and OK on the "working on it" list and NY, NJ, PA, and DE are not? sheesh.

 

[alphaswift]

What's the end game here? You have a DL in your iphone wallet and get pulled over....cop wants to see your license...do you send him a copy electronically or do you hand over your phone? There's no way on god's green earth I am handing over my phone to a cop for this purpose.

 

[bhirt37]

I’m not sure what to think of this feature. Maybe good for TSA checkpoints and maybe going to a bar if thats your thing. I would NEVER give my phone to a police officer. There is no way I would ditch my license while driving.

 

[tweaknmod]

Just need to be available all 50 states and all businesses…. Hate having to carry my physical wallet just for my drivers license. All my cards are on my phone and everything else.

I just leave my license in my car, but i agree that it will be great when this is widely accepted. Now that i dont carry a wallet anymore, i could never go back.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Largely useless feature. Had this in Arizona for years now. Most TSA checkpoints won't accept it or look at you like you are crazy. Cops won't accept it at all. Most place that need your license won't accept it either, no real reason to have this yet (although I understand the movement has to start someplace).

Arizona has a state app that provides an actual verified image of your license, and many places DO accept that (but still not law enforcement)--but that is completely different than the Apple wallet version. Frankly, there is zero reason for the Apple wallet version to even exist at this point.

 

[TechnoMonk]

I’m not sure what to think of this feature. Maybe good for TSA checkpoints and maybe going to a bar if thats your thing. I would NEVER give my phone to a police officer. There is no way I would ditch my license while driving.

Cops don’t accept digital license even if you hand over the phone. The states need to invest in devices that can read digital license. TSA has devices to read/validate the digital license.

 

[lkrupp]

Actual drivers licenses have been faked ever since they were instituted, usually by teenagers trying to buy liquor. I would assume a crafty hacker could do the same with a digital ID?

 

[kycophpd]

Kentucky version will be released in the beginning of 2025. It is being beta tested right now.

 

[ChrisA]

What's the end game here? You have a DL in your iphone wallet and get pulled over....cop wants to see your license...do you send him a copy electronically or do you hand over your phone? There's no way on god's green earth I am handing over my phone to a cop for this purpose.

PLEASE, read how this works BEFORE you make a fool of yourself by complaining about nonexistent problems.

The Wallet app works as it has always worked. When was the last time you needed to hand your phone to the checker at the grocery store to pay for your groceries? Did you hand your phone to the gasoline pump when you refueled your car? Of course not. The Wallet app uses a near-field radio that wirelessly connects to a reader device.

 

[bhirt37]

Cops don’t accept digital license even if you hand over the phone. The states need to invest in devices that can read digital license. TSA has devices to read/validate the digital license.

I am well aware of this. It is a slippery slope we are starting down. Just like after 9/11 with all the new optional tech at checkpoints that you cant avoid now. Ask to opt out and they make you wait an hour so you miss your flight. If people aren't vigilant now, you WILL be handing over your phone to authorities. These threads always have people who cant wait for the future when they only have their phone. They will get what they want and the rest of us will suffer.

 

[kevine]

Actual drivers licenses have been faked ever since they were instituted, usually by teenagers trying to buy liquor. I would assume a crafty hacker could do the same with a digital ID?

I'm not going to say it's impossible, but it's orders of magnitude more difficult. With a physical ID all you have to do is recreate something that looks and feels like a real ID. With a digital ID, you'd have to hack your phone to get the ID on it, and then hack the server which would do the authentication. Really, the easiest way to do this would be just to hack the DMV itself and then just go ahead and issue yourself real license credentials. Good luck with that.

 

[kevine]

I feel like as if it's a slow race between states rolling this out and people who won't stop commenting "I don't want to hand my phone to a cop!" before reading anything about it.

 

[zilchfox]

What's the end game here? You have a DL in your iphone wallet and get pulled over....cop wants to see your license...do you send him a copy electronically or do you hand over your phone? There's no way on god's green earth I am handing over my phone to a cop for this purpose.

It works similar to Apple Pay. You double-press the side-button and select your ID card, then tap it on their device, which would then have all your drivers license info on it pulled up. You don't have to hand them the phone itself.

But the cop would need such a device to begin with...

 

[dontwalkhand]

What's the end game here? You have a DL in your iphone wallet and get pulled over....cop wants to see your license...do you send him a copy electronically or do you hand over your phone? There's no way on god's green earth I am handing over my phone to a cop for this purpose.

LOL, seriously. One post above. I knew it this post would come up.

 

[Rychiar]

been waiting years here in CT

 

[bhirt37]

It works similar to Apple Pay. You double-press the side-button and select your ID card, then tap it on their device, which would then have all your drivers license info on it pulled up. You don't have to hand them the phone itself.

But the cop would need such a device to begin with...

I am in Colorado, one if the first states with this feature. I added my license the day it came out. The first time I successfully used it with TSA the agent grabbed my phone from my hand to scan it. I removed my id minutes later. The other 3 times I tried before that I got crazy looks like WTF are you doing. If a paid rent-a-cop with zero authority is that agressive, you know real authorities will be worse. I have had many experiences with checkout people in small mom and pop store where they wanted my to hand them my phone. In those cases I said no and paid with a credit card.

The future you imagine based on your apple pay experience buying cheetos wont be quite what you think it is.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

PLEASE, read how this works BEFORE you make a fool of yourself by complaining about nonexistent problems.

The Wallet app works as it has always worked. When was the last time you needed to hand your phone to the checker at the grocery store to pay for your groceries? Did you hand your phone to the gasoline pump when you refueled your car? Of course not. The Wallet app uses a near-field radio that wirelessly connects to a reader device.

That's a big assumption that most police departments will supply every officer, or car, with the necessary equipment to read these. What happens when you get pulled over a county brownie that doesn't have a reader?

Personally, I have zero interest in carrying a digital ID...I don't even always carry my iPhone when I leave the house...

 

[dontwalkhand]

Kentucky version will be released in the beginning of 2025. It is being beta tested right now.

At this rate we can fast track the implementation across all 50 states soon enough. Hopefully Canada too.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Actual drivers licenses have been faked ever since they were instituted, usually by teenagers trying to buy liquor. I would assume a crafty hacker could do the same with a digital ID?

Law enforcement officers LEOs) typically take the DL <or phone?> back to their car and check against their in-car terminal to beat fakes. Given the fact that there are some very corrupt LEOs, it seems that giving an unlocked phone to some unknown LEO would be a very bad idea.

Note that even with folks like me with nothing but totally innocuous [boring] data on their phones the data has value. Each of our contact lists contains info spammers and hackers pay money for.

 

[dontwalkhand]

I am in Colorado, one if the first states with this feature. I added my license the day it came out. The first time I successfully used it with TSA the agent grabbed my phone from my hand to scan it. I removed my id minutes later. The other 3 times I tried before that I got crazy looks like WTF are you doing. If a paid rent-a-cop with zero authority is that agressive, you know real authorities will be worse. I have had many experiences with checkout people in small mom and pop store where they wanted my to hand them my phone. In those cases I said no and paid with a credit card.

The future you imagine based on your apple pay experience buying cheetos wont be quite what you think it is.

I use it with TSA almost every week. The scanners all face you and there is no physical way they can grab it and scan it for you, because it also requires your Face ID to authenticate.

 

[hieranonymous]

I’m glad this feature is finally gaining some traction.

 

[london_apple]

What's the end game here? You have a DL in your iphone wallet and get pulled over....cop wants to see your license...do you send him a copy electronically or do you hand over your phone? There's no way on god's green earth I am handing over my phone to a cop for this purpose.

I guess folks could just leave their physical IDs in their cars in the glove box or some other compartment, and then use the digitial ID everywhere else. For that "just in case" scenario with police. I'm with you though, not handing my phone over to them lol....