IPhone owners in Arizona can now load their driver’s licenses or state ID into their iPhone’s wallet app, Apple announced on Wednesday. The digital ID will allow holders to pass through TSA checkpoints in Sky Harbor International Airport, in Arizona. The digital license won’t work at traffic stops.
The digital ID feature is another step in Apple’s long-term strategy to replace credit cards, cash, loyalty cards, and IDs with digital equivalents on iPhones. Although Apple doesn’t make a lot of revenue from its Wallet, the features are useful and make it harder to switch to an Android phone.
Apple also said on Wednesday that it plans to introduce the feature in Colorado, Hawaii, Mississippi, Ohio, and Puerto Rico in addition to seven states previously announced, including Georgia, which Apple previously said would be one of the first states to launch the feature with Arizona.
“We’re thrilled to bring the first driver’s license and state ID in Wallet to Arizona today, and provide Arizonans with an easy, secure, and private way to present their ID when traveling, through just a tap of their iPhone or Apple Watch,” said Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet.
“We look forward to working with many more states and the TSA to bring IDs in Wallet to users across the US.” Additional states will offer driver’s licenses and state ID in Wallet soon. Colorado, Hawaii, Mississippi, Ohio, and the territory of Puerto Rico plan to bring this feature to their residents, along with the seven states Apple previously announced.
Adding a driver’s license or state ID to Wallet can be done in a few simple steps: Residents can tap the + button at the top of the screen in Wallet on their iPhone, select “Driver’s License or State ID,” and follow the on-screen instructions to start the setup and verification process.
To help ensure that the person adding the identity card to Wallet is the same person to whom the identity card belongs, the user will be asked to take a selfie and scan the front and back of their driver’s license or state ID card, which will be securely provided to the issuing state for verification.
As an additional fraud prevention step, users will also be prompted to complete a series of facial and head movements during the setup process. The state is responsible for verifying and approving the user’s request to add their driver’s license or state ID to Wallet.
