Driver's Licenses Will Soon Be Coming To The iPhone And Apple Watch In These 8 States

Eight states will begin to roll out a new feature that will allow users to add their driver's license and state IDs to Apple Wallet for iPhone and Apple Watch.

Arizona and Georgia will be the first states to introduce the feature, Apple announced on Wednesday, with Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma and Utah to follow afterward.

The states have not yet said when they'll start making the digital IDs available, but once they do, the Transportation Security Administration said it will allow travelers to use them at checkpoints and security lanes at select airports.

"The addition of driver's licenses and state IDs to Apple Wallet is an important step in our vision of replacing the physical wallet with a secure and easy-to-use mobile wallet," said Jennifer Bailey, Apple's vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet.

Adding a license or ID will work much the same way as adding a debit or credit card to Apple Wallet, but Apple said it is rolling out a few requirements for additional security.

After users scan their IDs on their iOS device, they will be asked to take a selfie, which will be securely provided to the issuing state for verification. As an additional security measure, users will also be asked to complete a series of facial and head movements during the setup process.

The company said customer data is "encrypted and protected against tampering and theft," ensuring that only the owner who added the ID to their iPhone or Apple Watch can view the ID. And it's designed so that users can present their digital IDs at TSA checkpoints without having to take out physical identification cards or hand over their Apple devices.

The new ID feature will be available with the newest iPhone software update release this fall.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.