California residents will soon gain the ability to add their driver’s licenses and state IDs to Apple Wallet, Apple said Thursday. The feature will let users present their identification using just an iPhone or Apple Watch rather than using a physical card. California drivers licenses in Apple Wallet is a big step forward for the program, given that the Golden State is the country’s most populous, with nearly 40 million residents.
“We’re excited to be working with the state of California to bring IDs in Apple Wallet to Apple’s home state soon, and provide residents with an easy, secure, and private way to present their California driver’s license and state ID in person and in app using Apple Wallet,” said Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet.
“Whether using IDs in Apple Wallet to breeze through travel, or to securely verify age or identity at businesses, California driver’s licenses and state IDs in Apple Wallet make ID presentment seamless — all with the security built into iPhone and Apple Watch,” she added.
California drivers licenses in Apple Wallet, plus other state IDs, coming soon
The digital IDs will be usable at select TSA security checkpoints and businesses, as well as in certain apps for age or identity verification, Apple said. This development follows the successful implementation of similar systems in Arizona, Maryland, Colorado, Georgia, and Ohio. If you live in one of those states, check out Cult of Mac‘s how-to article to add your license or ID to Wallet.
Apple emphasized the security and privacy features built into the system. When adding an ID to Apple Wallet, the state-issuing authority receives only the necessary information to approve or deny the request. Users must authorize the sharing of information using Face ID or Touch ID, and only the required data for each transaction is presented.
ID information is encrypted and local
The company assures that ID information is encrypted and stored solely on the user’s device. Neither Apple nor the state-issuing authority can track when or where a user presents their digital ID. In case of a lost device, users can remotely lock or erase their information using the Find My app.
This launch will be part of the California DMV’s mobile driver’s license (mDL) pilot program. Interested residents can find more information about the program on the DMV’s website at dmv.ca.gov/mDL. Or you can read more about IDs in Apple Wallet at learn.wallet.apple/id.
As California joins the growing list of states embracing digital identification, this development marks a significant step towards modernizing personal identification systems in the United States.
Source: Apple