Apple Announces California Supports ID Cards In Wallet On iPhone, Apple Watch

At long last, the day has finally come.

Hot off the heels of releasing major new versions of its panoply of software platforms—and on the precipice of launching iPhone 16, Apple Watch Series 10, and AirPods 4 unto the world—Apple earlier this week posted an item to its Newsroom site announcing the news that driver’s licenses and identification cards now are available in the Wallet app.

California’s support for digital IDs in Apple Wallet is rolling out as part of the state’s pilot program which began last year. It’s limited to only 1.5 million participants. The Wallet app is available on iOS and watchOS.

“Enabling California residents to seamlessly add and present their IDs with their iPhone or Apple Watch represents a significant step in replacing the physical wallet with a more secure and private digital wallet,” Jennifer Bailey, vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet at Apple, said in a statement included in the company’s announcement. “The launch also represents an important milestone in the rollout of IDs in Apple Wallet. Not only is California one of the largest states in the U.S., but it’s also our own backyard, and we’re excited to bring an easy and transparent way to present IDs in our home state.”

For his part, California governor Gavin Newsom said in part in a statement the integration with Apple Wallet “[better serves] the people of California in the 21st century.”

As a lifelong Bay Area resident, I jumped at the opportunity to add my identification card to my iPhone as soon as I could. In my experience, doing so worked exactly how Apple describes it. After taking pictures of both the front and back of my physical card, the system asked me to do some facial movements much in the same way to how Face ID is set up. After a couple hours, I received a notification from Apple Wallet, along with an email from the DMV, that my digital ID card was ready to use.

Apple says people are able to use their digital IDs to get through airport security faster. I have a couple flights lined up for next week, one of them to Austin, Texas to moderate a panel on autonomous cars and accessibility. I always carry my physical wallet with me, but am curious to see how the digital version of my ID fares on these trips. What’s more, I have review units of the aforementioned new Apple products as well. This travel will be a great opportunity to put them through their paces.

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California joins Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, and Ohio in supporting IDs in Apple Wallet. Elsewhere, Japan has pledged to add its My Number Card to the Wallet app, which will mark “the first international expansion of IDs in Wallet,” according to Apple.

In June, I posted a story featuring Ian Grossman. He’s the president and CEO of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, or AAMVA, a 91-year-old organization that serves as the trade association for all all the DMVs and state police in the United States and Canada. Amongst other things, Grossman said the AAMVA “loves” functionality like Apple Wallet because it extends what’s already a trove of one’s sensitive data. To wit, most people’s entire lives are stored on their phones; accessibility notwithstanding, it makes sense to stow identification info alongside credit cards and other precious knowledge.