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iPhone Driver's Licenses Coming to North Dakota Residents

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iPhone users who reside in North Dakota will soon be able to add their driver's licenses and IDs to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch. The on-device Digital ID can be used instead of a physical ID at select U.S. airports and for age verification in retail stores, in apps, and on the web.

north-dakota-id-wallet.jpg

Apple added North Dakota to its list of states that support driver's licenses in the Wallet app, which means the feature should be launching imminently. Earlier in September, North Dakota's Department of Transportation (DOT) said that mobile IDs would be available to North Dakota drivers "within the next month."

When the feature goes live, North Dakota residents will be able to add a license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app by opening it, tapping on the "+" button, and following the onscreen instructions. Apple's website says that the North Dakota DOT requires residents to pay a $5 fee to obtain a mobile driver's license.

Mobile IDs will be accepted by the TSA at more than 250 airports across the United States. Digital IDs on the ‌iPhone‌ and Apple Watch are not accepted everywhere, and North Dakotans should continue to carry a physical license.

Apple announced digital IDs for the Wallet app back in 2022, and states have been slowly adopting the feature. Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, New Mexico, Iowa, California, Hawaii, and Ohio have implemented support, as has Puerto Rico. Mississippi, Illinois, Connecticut, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Utah, and West Virginia are working on support, according to Apple.

Article Link: iPhone Driver's Licenses Coming to North Dakota Residents
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/09/25/iphone-drivers-license-north-dakota/
I just received notice today that it will be coming to Virginia, too.

State employees have early access to a proprietary mobile ID app (Virginia mID) beginning today through 10/2. Rolling out to the public I think after 10/2. They've also indicated that compatibility with Apple and Samsung wallets "will be coming soon."

For VA:

"Where you can use Mobile ID today:
- TSA checkpoints at 230+ US airports
- Virginia State Police
- In Richmond: five ABC stores and six DMV service centers (specific sites listed but deleted for post brevity)
- Afterglow Brewing in Norfolk

Coming soon:
- Apple and Samsung wallet integrations
- Use at all 76 DMV service centers and 400+ ABC stores
- Acceptance by local law enforcement, polling places, casinos, racetracks, restaurants, and more"
 
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I struggle to understand how, on one hand, we have to go through all the expense and effort to get switched over to RealID in order to fly and, on the other hand, flashing a bar/QR code on our phone will be equally secure. Has my cynicism level finally caught up to my age? Isn’t all security now just theater?
 
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Bryan MacGuy said:
I struggle to understand how, on one hand, we have to go through all the expense and effort to get switched over to RealID in order to fly and, on the other hand, flashing a bar/QR code on our phone will be equally secure. Has my cynicism level finally caught up to my age? Isn’t all security now just theater?
Click to expand...
for all I know RealID was created by the government based on technology like at least 20 years old by now?
Digital IDs - Apple's been offering those starting 3 years ago.

Technology evolves, governments - not so much ...
 
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Important to note that the fine print at the bottom of the Apple webpage about digital IDs says this:

2. The North Dakota Department of Transportation Driver License Division (DOT) requires residents to pay a fee of $5 to obtain a mobile driver’s license (see DOT for full details). If you have not paid this fee before, when adding your North Dakota ID to Wallet you will be directed to make this required payment to the DOT to finish adding your ID to Wallet.
 
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Seems like a great idea, unless you get a cop on a power trip who tells you to hand over your license, then takes your phone back to his car, uses Graykey to open it, rummages through all your data, and fires your 4th amendment right to being secure in your communications & documents on his own personal barbecue. …not that cops abusing their power to stalk, coerce, blackmail or extort citizens has ever been a problem.
 
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New York State has their own digital license app instead of using the Apple Wallet. It’s really great. My son uses it. He’s never gotten it accepted at any store. Ever.
 
Bryan MacGuy said:
I struggle to understand how, on one hand, we have to go through all the expense and effort to get switched over to RealID in order to fly and, on the other hand, flashing a bar/QR code on our phone will be equally secure. Has my cynicism level finally caught up to my age? Isn’t all security now just theater?
Click to expand...
You’re actually right, but not about this technology, but rather some states have their own app for digital ID that basically just has a static barcode. Which means of course anyone can capture the barcode and make copies of IDs (but I think the security aspect of it involves a back-end check, including the photo, which that is what gets checked against the person).

However, this technology by Apple is quite different than a static barcode. It’s built on the same public-private key encryption that Apple Pay is built on. Essentially, a code resides on the phone, is never transmitted, and a crypto operation is performed when used that confirms the existence of this code every time via math, and information transmitted can’t be reused. And it uses NFC so that you can’t even skim a QR code at all, though my understanding is even with a QR code at best you would get one time use out of it, it couldn’t be used subsequently, and it can time out (assuming it’s like EMV technology, à la Apple Pay or chip credit cards).

The problem with this technology is that its adoption is basically nowhere, but in theory it could be adopted easily by giving out phones with an app that does the checking, so police could use it, liquor stores could use it, but there just aren’t many users at all. Also requires internet to do the backend check. So cops aren’t going out of their way to deploy Starlink to police vehicles as a backup to the cell network.
 
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This is great and all, but it's pretty much useless. Until there is a collective push from the government to implement this nationwide. I tried showing my apple digital id to a 7-11 and the lady looked at me like I was stupid. Then proceeded to ask if I had a drivers license instead.
 
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