Apple added the ability to add digital state IDs or driver’s licenses to Apple Wallet years ago, with the very first supporting states announced back in 2021. It’s a standards-based approach (ISO 18013-5) that’s meant to be more secure and private than physical identification, as well as finally closing one of the last loopholes that keep people from leaving the house without their wallet.
There are currently ten states/territories in the US that support this capability, and another 8 have announced support in the future. How to add your ID to the Wallet app on your iPhone, and why you might want to.
Update 01/13/25: Illinois has announced its intention to bring state IDs to Apple Wallet “by the end of the year.”
How to add your state ID or driver’s license to Wallet
Adding your ID to Apple Wallet is easy.
- Open Wallet
- Press the “Add” (+) button in the upper right corner.
- Press on Driver’s license or state ID and select your state.
- Follow the instructions on the screen.
You will be asked if you also want to add your ID to just your iPhone or your Apple Watch if you have a paired Apple Watch. You will be asked to take pictures of your current ID, probably the front and back, and also take some matching pictures of yourself.
The phone will direct you to be in a well-lit area with a plain dark background and put your head in the frame. Then you turn your head or make facial expressions (close your eyes, open your mouth) as directed by your phone. This information will be used to help match your appearance with your image on file with the state. Think of it as a human making sure you look like the picture on your ID.
Foundry
List of supporting states/territories
The seven states that currently support digital IDs in Apple Wallet are:
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Iowa
- Maryland
- New Mexico
- Ohio
- Puerto Rico
The states and territories that have pledged future support are:
- Connecticut
- Illinois
- Kentucky
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Oklahoma
- Utah
- Virginia
- West Virginia
Where you can use it and why you might want to
Your Apple Wallet ID is more secure than carrying around a physical card that could get lost or reveal personal information to someone you might not want it to have.
Digital IDs in Apple Wallet do not display personal information other than your name. If you press the (i) button for more information, and then press Information about driving licencesyour iPhone requires a Face ID or Touch ID login to see things like your address, date of birth, height, eye color, ID number, and so on.
Information is ONLY ever transferred via NFC (which initiates a secure Bluetooth LE data connection), not via barcode or anything that can be easily copied. So you never have to hand over your phone to a police officer, TSA agent, or anyone else, and even if you do, they can’t get your personal information without your approval.
Using your digital ID works much like Apple Pay. You hold your iPhone close to the reader (which may be another iPhone) and a screen will pop up telling you exactly what information you want to share. Double-tap the side button to approve it, just like you would approve a payment.
Currently, police authorities do not accept digital IDs as driver’s licenses, so you must carry your physical card with you when you drive. But the TSA has deployed readers at checkpoints in some airports (see a map here), and some age-restricted venues have also deployed readers. Additionally, apps that require age identification (like renting a car or ordering alcohol) can use the information stored in Wallet to prove age.
The good thing about digital IDs is that they can only transmit the necessary information and nothing more. A bouncer who wants to check ID at the entrance to a venue will have a reader that shows your ID picture and simply confirms if you’re over 21, for example – they wouldn’t get your actual date of birth, ID number, address or other information they do not need. The same goes for apps that need age verification. With the Apple Wallet implementation, nothing is transferred without your approval, so not only do you not have to hand your phone over to anyone else, it wouldn’t even help to do so.