iPhone Driver's License Support Rolling Out Soon in California

[MacRumors]

California will soon start rolling out support for digital driver's licenses and IDs in the Apple Wallet app on iPhone and Apple Watch, becoming the sixth state to implement the feature.

Wallet app integration is part of California's mobile driver's license effort, which kicked off a year ago. More than 500,000 people have already added a driver's license or ID to the California DMV Wallet app, where California tested the option before rolling it out to the Wallet app.

"We're excited to be working with the state of California to bring IDs in Apple Wallet to Apple's home state soon, and provide residents with an easy, secure, and private way to present their California driver's license and state ID in person and in app using Apple Wallet," said Jennifer Bailey, Apple's vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet. "Whether using IDs in Apple Wallet to breeze through travel, or to securely verify age or identity at businesses, California driver's licenses and state IDs in Apple Wallet make ID presentment seamless -- all with the security built into iPhone and Apple Watch."

IDs and licenses stored in the Wallet app on iPhone or iPad can be used for TSA screenings at select airports and for age verification at select stores. Right now, California's mobile wallet support is still in a pilot stage, and only 1.5 million participants are able to sign up.

California requires people to continue to carry a physical license or ID card because the digital license is not accepted by law enforcement, state government agencies, and most businesses.

Evidence that Apple Wallet integration was coming to California first surfaced earlier in August when a hidden landing page on the DMV website was discovered, but California and Apple are officially announcing the feature today.

Apple announced a new Wallet app that supported digital IDs back in 2022, but states have been slow to adopt the feature. So far, only Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, and Ohio have implemented support. Apple said in 2022 that Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Utah are also working on support.

Article Link: iPhone Driver's License Support Rolling Out Soon in California

 

[Martin Bland]

Being able to leave the house with nothing but an Apple Watch and a car fob is a dream come true.

Next allow starting a car with a watch instead of a fob or phone…

 

[jz0309]

Is there official word from the state yet?

I have not used mine in a year, and multiple people have reported that it’s not really that useful, and not widely accepted even at the advertised airports

 

[coffeemilktea]

California requires people to continue to carry a physical license or ID card because the digital license is not accepted by law enforcement, state government agencies, and most businesses.

I guess I still have to wait for that bright new future where I can just double-press the side button on my iPhone when I get carded at the club. 😔

 

[Nekronos]

Neat concept, unfortunately even in the few states this exists, it's not widely accepted.

Being able to leave the house with nothing but an Apple Watch and a car fob is a dream come true.

Next allow starting a car with a watch instead of a fob or phone…

Only TSA is going to take it so you still need the physical license for everything else (i.e. driving, going to a bar or buying liquor, and basically any govt agency aside from TSA)

 

[CalMin]

Yay! The California DMV app sucks so badly. I don't know why they didn't just take this route in the first place.

 

[iGeneo]

Being able to leave the house with nothing but an Apple Watch and a car fob is a dream come true.

Next allow starting a car with a watch instead of a fob or phone…

Buy a BMW.. then you can

 

[GrayFlannel]

Continue to carry your physical driver’s license or state-issued ID card. Law enforcement, state government agencies, and businesses aren’t yet accepting the mDL.

 

[Supercyborgninja]

if it were tap to phone where the police get the wallet on their device and you don’t have to give your device to them..that’d be cool.

Giving your entire phone to a cop seems like moving backwards not forwards.

 

[GooseInTheCaboose]

Wtf is wrong with my state New York!?

We are always behind

 

[Blackstick]

Neat concept, unfortunately even in the few states this exists, it's not widely accepted.

Only TSA is going to take it so you still need the physical license for everything else (i.e. driving, going to a bar or buying liquor, and basically any govt agency aside from TSA)

Local bar here will accept the Ohio digital ID but Kroger won't, Costco did.

So... it varies. Certainly cops do not, so that's reason to bring the plastic one. CVG (Cincinnati airport) is technically in Northern Kentucky, but TSA has the readers for the digital Ohio ID.

 

[poematik13]

Will be functionally useless because all bouncers/event security only accept physical ID's

 

[Makosuke]

Finally. How was California of all states not first on the list for this?

Even if we’re a long way from being able to just carry your phone and leave the plastic card at home, that day isn’t ever getting here without states supporting the base technology.

Apple Pay only worked in a handful of stores when it first launched, now I’m so used to paying with my watch that it’s surprising when I need to dig out a physical card.

 

[BruiserB]

I guess I still have to wait for that bright new future where I can just double-press the side button on my iPhone when I get carded at the club. 😔

Seems like by the time this is available, we'll all be old enough that no one will card us! (I've unfortunately already passed that milestone).

 

[zach-coleman]

Next allow starting a car with a watch instead of a fob or phone…

BMW and Rivian (gen 2) already have you covered

 

[coachgq]

I guess I still have to wait for that bright new future where I can just double-press the side button on my iPhone when I get carded at the club. 😔

By the time you can do that, you won’t need to be carded anymore.

 

[nutmac]

Wtf is wrong with my state New York!?

We are always behind

NYC has Express Transit Card. CA's transit system is a mess. Perhaps LA will get Express Transit Card thanks to Olympics?

 

[AlexStudios]

At this point we’re all going to be age 90 when every state supports Apple Wallet IDs.

 

[gco212]

Is Apple going to be collecting 30% of fees charged by the DMV?

 

[DelayedGratificationGene]

Acceptance is starting to ramp up. Let’s go NY you’re next!

 

[jgreg728]

Finally some good Apple news this week....NYC WHERE TF ARE YOU AT?????

 

[Scoob Redux]

Just what we've been asking for: a reason to hand our phone (with all personal information about our lives) over to law enforcement 🤦‍♂️

It's amazing how many people applaud new "features" that enable authoritarian rule.

 

[schlitzz]

Geezus, people in California that know how to drive....

 

[IIGS User]

if it were tap to phone where the police get the wallet on their device and you don’t have to give your device to them..that’d be cool.

Giving your entire phone to a cop seems like moving backwards not forwards.

So feel free to not participate. No one is FORCING you into an electronic ID. Nor are they forcing you to hand your phone to law enforcement. It's simply another option for people who want it.

I use my insurance company's application to keep my insurance cards on my phone. I also keep a physical copy of my insurance card in all my vehicles. Sometimes I do forget to print out a new one and since they expire every six months, it's not out of the realm of possibility that I have an expired card in one of my vehicles. So it serves as a back up.

Every time electronic ID's are mentioned on MacRumors someone pulls out the "I'm not handing my phone to the cops" argument. It's a moot point. You're free to keep your phone. Just carry your physical card and you're good.

 

[rymc02]

Neat concept, unfortunately even in the few states this exists, it's not widely accepted.

Only TSA is going to take it so you still need the physical license for everything else (i.e. driving, going to a bar or buying liquor, and basically any govt agency aside from TSA)

By the time this becomes widely accepted, TSA probably wont even need any ID. I just came back to the states using Global Entry. That was crazy. I didn't have to get any ID out at all. I walked up to a kiosk that captured my face on a video screen as I walked up. Processed for a like a second and then told me to proceed. I walked over to an agent and he already knew my name, asked me if I had anything to declare, then told me to have a nice day. Wild. Not even 20 seconds for the whole process and never had to take my bag off my shoulder.