Apple Wallet’s digital driver’s license and state ID support has expanded to ten jurisdictions in the United States with the recent additions of New Mexico and Puerto Rico. The feature is now available in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, New Mexico, Ohio, and Puerto Rico. The expansion marks significant progress since Arizona became the first state to launch the program in March 2022.
Residents in supported jurisdictions can add their digital driver’s licenses or state IDs to Apple Wallet through a multi-step process that includes scanning both sides of their physical ID, capturing a facial scan, and submitting their digital application for verification. Once added, these digital IDs function similarly to digital payment cards, potentially eliminating the need to carry physical identification in certain situations. The implementation follows the ISO/IEC 18013 standard for mobile driver’s licenses, ensuring interoperability and security across different platforms and jurisdictions.
The system features privacy-focused controls that limit data sharing to only necessary information. For example, when businesses use the mobile ID app for age verification, they only receive confirmation of whether the customer meets the required age threshold (18 or 21 years old) without accessing additional personal information such as the exact birth date. The selective disclosure capability plays a crucial role in privacy protection and follows guidelines from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA).
“People are used to using their phones for so many things now, and, especially post-pandemic, the use of electronic wallets has grown tremendously for a lot of documents and payments,” said Chrissy Nizer, Administrator of the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Motor Vehicle Administration. “It doesn’t do you any good unless you have that reader on the other side, and most businesses don’t have the ability like TSA does to buy that equipment so that they can have the readability.”
The implementation requires user consent for all transactions, similar to wallet payment platforms, ensuring that data sharing occurs only with explicit approval and is limited to necessary information. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been a key early adopter of mobile ID verification, accepting digital IDs at select airport security checkpoints across the country. Montana and West Virginia are expected to be the next states to implement digital ID support in Apple Wallet, further expanding the network of jurisdictions embracing this technology.
Sources: Route Fifty, Digital Trends, IDTechWire
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