Apple is rolling out the option for US residents to store their driver’s licenses or IDs in its mobile Wallet app. It’s rolling out to Arizona and Georgia first; Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Utah will follow.
But your digital ID won’t get you out of a traffic stop or even into a nightclub. At least not yet. For now, this will only help you get through airport security. Apple says the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will “enable select airport security checkpoints and lanes in participating airports.”
Participating states and the TSA will share more information about when and at which airport security checkpoints support for mobile driver’s licenses and state IDs in Wallet will be available.
The initiative, first teased at Apple’s WWDC, will “enable a more seamless airport security screening experience for travelers,” says TSA Administrator David Pekoske. Once you’ve added an ID to Wallet, tap your iPhone or Apple Watch to present it to officers; no need to take out a physical card or hand over your device.
Just as you’d add a credit card, transit pass, or vaccination card to Wallet, tap the plus icon at the top of the app screen to scan a physical driver’s license or state ID. You’ll need to snap a selfie, which will be provided to the issuing state for verification. As an added security measure, users must complete a series of facial and head movements during setup.
Once confirmed, the document will be saved in your Apple Wallet. Then, before your next flight, tap your iPhone or Apple Watch at the identity reader, authorize with Face ID or Touch ID, and head to your gate. Information like your legal name, date of birth, sex, state, and ID number and photo will be presented.
Apple says it took various precautions to ensure the security and privacy of your digital wallet, including hiding information about when and where users present their IDs and encrypting customers’ identity data. “[This] is an important step in our vision of replacing the physical wallet with a secure and easy-to-use mobile wallet,” Jennifer Bailey, vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, said in a statement, hinting at nationwide availability in the future.
