Live in One of These 9 States? Now You Can Use Your iPhone as a Digital Driver's License
Living in California, I was interested in giving it a shot to see if it was as easy as it looks to be. And it is, as long as you have the right iPhone and OS version. Older iPhones, depending on the state you live in, may create some problems. Apple says digitized driver's licenses will work on iPhone 8 and later, but it's a little more complicated than that.
Right now, digital IDs are primarily used to go through TSA checkpoints in certain airports when flying domestically, but that'll likely change in the future. Want to use your digital ID at your favorite bar or nightclub? We're not there yet.
Below, I describe my experience, the hiccups I encountered on the way and things that you should know if you plan on adding your driver's license to Apple Wallet. I'll also break down how you can add your ID to your iPhone, step by step.
For more, don't miss these low-key iOS 26 features we're excited for.
The Small but Mighty Features of iOS 26 The Small but Mighty Features of iOS 26
Click to unmute
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Pause
Skip Backward
Skip Forward
Next playlist item
Unmute
Current Time
0:17
/
Duration
0:30
Loaded :
39.68%
0:17
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:13
Share
Fullscreen
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text
Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background
Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background
Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Close Modal Dialog
This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.
Close Modal Dialog
This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.
The Small but Mighty Features of iOS 26
These states support digital IDs on iPhones right now
Only a handful of states support digital IDs in Apple Wallet. One key factor is how each state implements its Mobile Driver's License system. For instance, Louisiana, New York, Utah and Virginia all support mobile driver's licenses but require separate apps for digital IDs.
States and regions that support digital IDs in Apple Wallet:
Arizona
California
Colorado
Georgia
Hawaii
Iowa
Maryland
New Mexico
Ohio
Puerto Rico
Some states originally announced to support Apple's digital ID haven't quite gotten there yet.
The number of states supported in Apple Wallet is about half of what the TSA currently allows. Collectively, it accepts digital IDs across Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet and state-based mobile apps in 15 states.
What are the iPhone requirements to add your driver's license to Apple Wallet?
Where you live is just the start. You also have to have the right iPhone model and the right software setup.
Here are the minimum requirements that Apple lists:
An iPhone 8 or later with the latest version of iOS
Have Face or Touch ID enabled on your device
Have two-factor authentication enabled on your Apple account
A license or ID from a participating state or territory
Your device's region set to the United States
I'll have more to say in a bit about that iPhone 8 and iOS requirement and a catch I ran into.
My experience adding my ID to my iPhone was easy
For testing purposes, I used the iPhone 16E.
The process of adding the ID was simple. I scanned the front and the back of my ID and the next step was to verify my identity. This wasn't nearly as nerve-wracking as I thought it would be. Instead, it took a live photo of my face for 2.5 seconds.
After that, more verification was required. This came in a series of different photos, with prompts directing me to close my eyes, open my mouth, smile and tip my head down. This verification process took about three minutes. (Or longer in my case, as I got distracted writing notes about the process and then found I had to restart the whole process.)
Then, after I submitted those photos, there was another verification step, presumably with the photos relayed to the California DMV. A screen message told me that I would receive a notification when there was an update. I expected this to take a long time, but not even 10 minutes later, a notification telling me that my ID was ready to use popped up. That was easy.
What about older iPhones?
So, not every phone you think might work will actually do so. The first time I tested adding my ID, I was using an iPhone 8 Plus. But when I arrived at the setup page within Apple Wallet, I was given eight states to choose from, and California wasn't one of them.
That surprised me. I'd found a helpful Apple support article that explained the requirements for adding a driver's license or state-issued ID to Apple Wallet and it seemed like I shouldn't have any trouble.
At first, I thought the roadblock was that I hadn't set up Touch ID yet. But no, California was still not on my list of eight states. (Equally confusing, a colleague of mine also tried this with an iPhone 8 and Apple Wallet only listed four states.)
I went back to the Apple support article and looked for fine print, and sure enough, there it was. I'd ignored the asterisk in the requirements, because California has had its Mobile Driver's License program set up for some time now.
The fine print at the very bottom of the page states, "For California, ID in Apple Wallet requires iPhone XS or later with iOS 17.5 or later." (For Puerto Rico, if you want to add your driver's license or ID to Apple Wallet, you'll need to have an iPhone XS or later with iOS 18.1.)
So if you're holding onto an iPhone 8 or iPhone X and live in California, you won't be able to add your driver's license to your iPhone because of the lack of software support. iOS 16 is the last supported version of the operating system for iPhone 8 and X models.
How to add your ID or driver's license to Apple Wallet
If you live in a state that supports digital IDs for Apple Wallet, it's easy to add one. After it's added, you'll need to verify your identity, which can take a little longer but it's still a straightforward process.
Open Apple Wallet .
. Tap the Add button.
button. Tap Driver's License or ID and select your location.
If applicable, choose whether you want to add your ID to your iPhone only or your iPhone and your Apple Watch.
Follow the steps to scan your license or ID.
(Make sure you scan your ID in a well-lit environment and that the image is in focus.)
Once it's scanned, you'll be prompted to confirm your identity with a selfie photo. According to Apple, you may be asked to complete a number of facial or head movements for identification purposes.
To ensure an easier verification process, Apple suggests that you:
Stand in front of a plain background with neutral, light paint.
Be in a well-lit area, ideally indoors.
Take off sunglasses, masks, hats or other accessories that could block your face.
Hold your iPhone steady.
When you're finished, submit your information by confirming with Touch or Face ID. Your biometrics will be bound to the ID, so only you can use it.
How to transfer your digital ID to another iPhone
If you upgrade your iPhone, you'll need to transfer your ID or driver's license to it.
During initial setup, tap Wallet .
. Select your ID.
Follow the steps.
Tap to confirm you want to move your driver's license or ID to the new device.
So, now what?
Your digital ID isn't just a photo of your ID that you can pull up within Apple Wallet. In fact, you don't even see a full image of your physical ID. In order to actually view your information from your digital ID, you'll need to tap on your ID "card" in Apple Wallet, tap the "i" at the top-right of the screen, and then tap State ID info or Card Information (the wording may be different depending on what version of iOS your iPhone is running). From there, it will show your ID photo as well as essential pieces of information from your physical ID.
TSA checkpoints that support digital IDs require a dedicated scanner, so the process may not necessarily feel like it's faster than showing your physical ID to the agent.
Here's a video of the process via the Maryland Department of Transportation:
The idea of a digital ID is pretty convenient but overall, it probably won't save you a meaningful amount of time. Couple that fact with its incredibly limited use cases right now and the fact that merchant or event adoption will require investment in proper hardware and it's pretty easy to see just how far off we are from ditching physical IDs.
Selling or trading in your iPhone? Do this first.
When you move on from a phone that has your ID on it, you'll want to do the same thing you do with other sensitive info like credit or debit cards and passwords: Remove it.
So before you wipe your iPhone to sell or trade it in, you should manually remove your ID first. Here's how to do it.
Go to Apple Wallet and tap your ID in the list
in the list Tap the " i " button at the top right of the screen
at the top right of the screen Tap Remove State ID (or Driver's License)
(or Driver's License) Read the warning that pops up and tap Remove
Digital passports are coming to Apple Wallet with iOS 26
Creating a digital ID from your physical passport is coming to your iPhone this year.
Apple/Screenshot by CNET
While states are taking time to implement digital ID systems, Apple announced a feature coming in iOS 26 this year: You can add a digital passport to Apple Wallet.
When that feature is available, iPhone users will be able to scan their passports to create a digital version for identity verification during domestic travel. You won't be able to use it for international travel and it's not a full replacement for a physical passport (so keep your physical one on you) but it should work at the 250-plus supported TSA checkpoints.
During its WWDC keynote in June, Apple said that the digital ID made from your passport can also be used "in apps and in person" but it didn't give any specifics.
This is essentially what can be done on Android through Google Wallet.
Verify with Wallet ID verification could make ordering alcohol easier
Also headed to iPhones this fall is an easier way for you to prove your age using your digital ID. Say you want to have a bottle of wine sent to your place via Uber Eats. Typically, when the driver arrives, you'll need to present your ID and have it scanned to complete the transaction but with the new Verify with Wallet, your stored digital ID will be used to verify your age. (I do wonder if things might get more complicated when the delivery arrives if you're not the one receiving it.)
Verify with Wallet will be supported by Chime, Turo, Uber Eats and U.S. Bank.
For more, don't miss what you should know about flying domestically without a Real ID in 2025.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
a few seconds ago
- Tom's Guide
Not a typo! Score an iPhone 16 Pro for free at this carrier
Need a reliable smartphone for the forthcoming school season? T-Mobile is offering one of our favorite phones for free ahead of the upcoming semester. For a limited time, you can get the iPhone 16 Pro for free at T-Mobile with trade-in and an eligible unlimited data plan. It's one of the best back to school deals I've seen. Trade in an eligible device in any condition, and T-Mobile will give you a credit of up to $1,000 that you can apply to an iPhone 16 Pro. You'll need to sign up for T-Mobile's $100/month Experience Beyond plan to qualify as well, though if you opt for the $85/month Experience More plan, you can still get up to $830 in credit. T-Mobile will also pay off your phone up to $800 with your current carrier. This is a great way to get one of Apple's best iPhones at a low-to-no cost. In addition to the savings, the reason I recommend the iPhone 16 Pro is because it gains the best part about the iPhone 16 Pro Max — its 12MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom. Last year's model topped out with a 3x optical zoom camera, so having the same 5x optical zoom reach as the more expensive iPhone 16 Pro Max makes it the iPhone to own. I also prefer it because of its more compact size. On top of all of this, we've put the iPhone 16 Pro (and 16 Pro Max) through several photo shootouts against its main rivals to determine if it's really the best camera phone out there. And since it shares the same camera setup as the iPhone 16 Pro Max, we've used its cameras for astrophotography to capture star clusters, galaxies, and nebulas in the night sky. We also love how blazing fast it is for just about everything, including playing games. But the biggest treat about this year's model is the arrival of Apple Intelligence, which brings Apple's flagship into a whole new era with the help of AI features.
Tom's Guide
a few seconds ago
- Tom's Guide
I started using an eSIM for my summer travels — here's why I'll never go back to a physical SIM card
When I travel abroad, I want to be able to use my smartphone to manage my itinerary, navigate between destinations, and stay connected to those back home. That means I need a data plan that works where I am and that won't break the bank. An eSIM, or embedded SIM, allows me to connect to local cellular networks at an affordable price. An eSIM is a digital SIM card already built into your phone — instead of installing a physical chip into a card slot, you simply purchase an eSIM and activate it remotely via a Wi-Fi connection (or cell network, depending on your device). Nomad eSIM: When you're on the road, you need a data plan that matches your vibe. With its convenience, flexibility and coverage in over 200 destinations, Nomad eSIM is an essential companion for all travelers. Nomad has recently launched 21 new unlimited data plans starting at just $11 for three days. This summer, use the promo code NOMADSUN20 for 20% off. While I can connect to Wi-Fi while traveling, I need to be able to connect to data while out and about without worrying about expensive roaming charges or pay-per-use rates. An eSIM allows me to purchase a data plan for the specific country or region I am traveling to for the duration of my trip at a relatively affordable price. In addition to cost-effective data options, travel eSIMs have some advantages over purchasing a physical SIM card for a local network. When relying on removable SIM cards in the past, I have had to locate a vendor, leaving a gap between arrival and getting connected to a data network. With an eSIM, you can get everything set up in advance so your plan is active the minute you land. I also had to keep my primary SIM secure for the duration of the trip — SIM chips are tiny and easily lost. Even if I wanted to use a physical SIM card, I'd have to purchase a second device in order to do so. My iPhone 15 Pro is eSIM only, meaning it lacks a SIM tray. It's far more convenient to use my own device with both a travel eSIM for affordable data and my primary SIM for receiving calls and texts from home than it is to buy and carry two separate phones. Apple has largely discontinued the use of traditional SIMs in its iPhone lineup (at least for US users), while Android devices typically have dual capabilities with both a physical SIM and an eSIM. Note that your device will need to be carrier unlocked in order to use an eSIM from a different provider. If you are traveling abroad, an eSIM is the simplest and often most cost-effective option for connecting to cellular data with your existing device. A travel eSIM allows you to do everything from use maps to stream video as soon as you arrive at your destination. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Skift
a few seconds ago
- Skift
From Concur to Spotnana: Steve Singh on How AI Could Fix Corporate Travel
Corporate travel is still a nightmare of fragmented systems, which means that rebooking canceled flights can be headache-inducing. Yet Concur co-founder Steve Singh believes new tech could bring the dawn of "the pefect trip." Steve Singh spent two decades building Concur into the dominant travel-and-expense management platform before selling it to SAP for $8.3 billion in 2014. A year ago he became CEO of Spotnana, a startup that aims to solve the industry's lingering problems. The travel technology sector has struggled for years with fragmented systems that force companies to cobble together bookings from multiple sources while maintaining adequate customer service. These back-end issues have delayed the arrival of what Singh called 'The Perfect Trip' in an interview with Skift in 2014. Now Singh argues that today's cloud-native computing and machine learning can solve problems that proved intractable when he first tackled them at Concur more than 40 years ago. 'I haven't been this excited about how tech can improve the corporate travel experience since mobile phones became widespread,' Singh said in an interview at Global Business Travel Association conference in Denver last month. Steve Singh, CEO of Spotnana, seated in white shirt at the company's recent conference. Singh works with key executives like Sarosh Waghmar at Spotnana, Naveen Singh at Center, Dennis Vilovic at Troop, and Christal Bemont at Direct Travel. Source: Spotnana Automating Services Spotnana's approach centers on automating routine travel services like rebookings and refunds. For corporate customers buying the travel, Spotnana will offer business intelligence tools and analytical services to let executives more clearly understand what their employees are spending on travel. 'Instead of a 15% cut across the board, which is indiscriminate, what if an AI agent could say, 'I'll get you the 15% savings by reducing travel spend by 40% for people that are not revenue producing while not reducing it at all for others, thanks to the intel I know on the clients they're visiting and the productivity of those employees on the road,'' Singh said. Singh claimed Spotnana could reduce travel management companies' operational costs by roughly half. The tech vendor said it doesn't accept global distribution system incentives and doesn't hide or bias content to reach supplier volume targets. Singh said Spotnana expects to deploy its AI agent capabilities within the next two to three years. He described plans for 'an AI agent that was trained on, say, your top 10% of your corporate travel agents' that could provide consistent, scalable service while understanding individual traveler preferences and company policies. 'Imagine an AI agent that not only knows me and my corporate policies and my personal preferences, but then it can also be an expert in every city I want to go for work or for leisure,' Singh said. 'That starts to deliver a client experience that is no different than the world's best executive assistant.' Singh said that AI may also help with either predicting and responding in the moments when trips are disrupted by cancellations. Automated reactions are key, he said: 'If my flight is delayed, I shouldn't have to pick up my phone and call somebody to change flights. Why can't there be a recommendation pushed right into my app, saying here are the three options within your company's travel policy, here are the three options outside your policy. Which one would you like?' Frenemies Spotnana, which has disclosed raising over $100 million in funding, faces established competitors with services that overlap. While Spotnana is not a travel management company, its technology and full-content approach are similar to travel management companies like Navan (which has raised over $1.2 billion in funding) and TravelPerk (over $700 million). Yet some industry observers remain skeptical about whether new technology can overcome the travel sector's entrenched interests and complex commercial relationships. The American Airlines' ill-fated effort to change how corporations and travel management companies book business travel suggests the challenges facing any attempt to change distribution. But Singh said cloud computing costs are 'one-tenth' of what they were 15 to 20 years ago. Key corporate travel systems are now cloud-native and use modern APIs, or data exchange methods. More importantly, suppliers, buyers, and travel management companies have greater incentives to change the status quo, he said. Spotnana offers its tech to Direct Travel, a company Singh also backs, and other travel management companies, such as Solutions Travel. It works with corporate buyers via connections with their preferred travel management companies. Yet Spotnana is also a tool for the suppliers themselves. 'We think there's multiple tiers of opportunity with our supplier partners,' Singh said. 'One is the content distribution to travel management companies. But the other is that most of our supplier partners also want us to build other services for them.' Spotnana's effort to be all things to all people could get dicey if travel management companies come to fear it as potentially siphoning off their business by competing on fees and services to woo buyers. Singh said he sees Spotnana's opportunity with suppliers as being in providing services that travel management companies typically don't, such as by giving suppliers deeper insights into their customers. A case in point: Spotnana has partnered with Marriott to power the hotel chain's small business portal, Business Access, handling both content distribution and booking management. 'We're taking advantage of the biggest transformation I've seen in travel since we moved from paper based tickets to digital,' Singh said. What am I looking at? The performance of travel tech stocks within the ST 200. The index includes companies publicly traded across global markets including both online travel booking companies and B2B travel tech companies. The Skift Travel 200 (ST200) combines the financial performance of nearly 200 travel companies worth more than a trillion dollars into a single number. See more travel tech financial sector performance. Read the full methodology behind the Skift Travel 200.
