iPhone Driver's License Support Rolling Out Soon in California

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California will soon start rolling out support for digital driver's licenses and IDs in the Apple Wallet app on iPhone and Apple Watch, becoming the sixth state to implement the feature.

apple california drivers license
Wallet app integration is part of California's mobile driver's license effort, which kicked off a year ago. More than 500,000 people have already added a driver's license or ID to the California DMV Wallet app, where California tested the option before rolling it out to the Wallet app.

"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."

IDs and licenses stored in the Wallet app on ‌iPhone‌ or iPad can be used for TSA screenings at select airports and for age verification at select stores. Right now, California's mobile wallet support is still in a pilot stage, and only 1.5 million participants are able to sign up.

California requires people to continue to carry a physical license or ID card because the digital license is not accepted by law enforcement, state government agencies, and most businesses.

Evidence that Apple Wallet integration was coming to California first surfaced earlier in August when a hidden landing page on the DMV website was discovered, but California and Apple are officially announcing the feature today.

Apple announced a new Wallet app that supported digital IDs back in 2022, but states have been slow to adopt the feature. So far, only Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, and Ohio have implemented support. Apple said in 2022 that Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Utah are also working on support.

Tags: Apple Wallet, California

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Top Rated Comments

Martin Bland Avatar
Martin Bland
18 months ago
Being able to leave the house with nothing but an Apple Watch and a car fob is a dream come true.

Next allow starting a car with a watch instead of a fob or phone…
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Supercyborgninja Avatar
Supercyborgninja
18 months ago
if it were tap to phone where the police get the wallet on their device and you don’t have to give your device to them..that’d be cool.

Giving your entire phone to a cop seems like moving backwards not forwards.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nekronos Avatar
Nekronos
18 months ago
Neat concept, unfortunately even in the few states this exists, it's not widely accepted.

Being able to leave the house with nothing but an Apple Watch and a car fob is a dream come true.

Next allow starting a car with a watch instead of a fob or phone…
Only TSA is going to take it so you still need the physical license for everything else (i.e. driving, going to a bar or buying liquor, and basically any govt agency aside from TSA)
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rymc02 Avatar
rymc02
18 months ago

Neat concept, unfortunately even in the few states this exists, it's not widely accepted.

Only TSA is going to take it so you still need the physical license for everything else (i.e. driving, going to a bar or buying liquor, and basically any govt agency aside from TSA)
By the time this becomes widely accepted, TSA probably wont even need any ID. I just came back to the states using Global Entry. That was crazy. I didn't have to get any ID out at all. I walked up to a kiosk that captured my face on a video screen as I walked up. Processed for a like a second and then told me to proceed. I walked over to an agent and he already knew my name, asked me if I had anything to declare, then told me to have a nice day. Wild. Not even 20 seconds for the whole process and never had to take my bag off my shoulder.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GrayFlannel Avatar
GrayFlannel
18 months ago
Continue to carry your physical driver’s license or state-issued ID card. Law enforcement, state government agencies, and businesses aren’t yet accepting the mDL.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Makosuke Avatar
Makosuke
18 months ago
Finally. How was California of all states not first on the list for this?

Even if we’re a long way from being able to just carry your phone and leave the plastic card at home, that day isn’t ever getting here without states supporting the base technology.

Apple Pay only worked in a handful of stores when it first launched, now I’m so used to paying with my watch that it’s surprising when I need to dig out a physical card.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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