Eight US States to Support Digital Driver’s Licenses in Apple Wallet

Residents of Arizona and Georgia will soon be able to add a secure digital version of their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on their iPhone and/or Apple Watch. Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Utah have also announced plans to support Apple's implementation. The first place people will be able to use these digital ID cards will be "select airport security checkpoints and lanes in participating airports". Apple's implementation of this technology is compliant with the ISO 18013-5 mDL (mobile driver's license) standard. Adding a license or ID to Wallet requires taking photos of both the user's physical ID card and themselves, which are sent to the issuing state for verification. Presenting a digital ID is initiated by simply tapping the phone or watch on a reader device, similar to Apple Pay. The user's device then displays what specific information is being requested. Only after the user confirms their identity using Face ID or Touch ID is the requested information securely transferred. Users do not need to unlock, show, or hand over their device to present their ID. Utah launched a pilot program of standard-compliant mDL technology using a standalone app earlier this year.