Adding a driving license to Apple Wallet
California is gearing up to offer a digital driver’s license, allowing drivers to carry a version of the government ID in the Apple Wallet.
The rollout of the ability to store digital driving licenses and state IDs in the Apple Wallet is extremely slow, with Ohio becoming only the fifth state to do so in July. While it is unclear which state will be next, it seems California is getting closer to joining the group.
A pair of internal websites shared by an AppleInsider reader shows the DMV in California is operating a pilot of digital driving licenses. It is an internal beta test, and will only be used by DMV employees, rather than outsiders.
For the trial, employees must have a valid California driver’s license or ID card, an iPhone running iOS 17.5 or later, and an Apple Watch that’s up to date. They also need to have Face ID or Touch ID turned on, two-factor authentication on the Apple ID, and the device region set to the United States.
Originally introduced in 2020, the digital license stored in the Apple Wallet offers quick electronic scanning of the credential via an iPhone or Apple Watch. It will work with electronic readers, and will even work at select TSA checkpoints at airports.
