Arizona becomes first state to offer driver’s license and state ID in Apple Wallet – TechCrunch

Apple today announced that Arizona will become the first U.S. state to offer residents the ability to digitally store their driver’s license or state ID in Apple’s Wallet app. The company had already said last fall it had secured the state to be among the first to offer the new feature. With the launch, Apple device owners will be able to tap their iPhone or Apple Watch to present their ID, starting at select TSA security checkpoints in Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

To get started, Arizona residents will tap the plus “+” button at the top of the screen in the Wallet app on their iPhone, then choose “Driver’s License or State ID,” and follow the on-screen instructions to start the setup and verification process, Apple explains. The person is verified by taking a selfie, then scanning both the back and front of their existing driver’s license or state ID card. (In other words, this is not a replacement for getting an ID or license from the DMV to begin with.)

These scans are securely provided to the issuing state for verification, Apple notes. There’s also an additional fraud prevention step that asks users to complete a series of facial and head movements during the setup process, it says.

Once the ID or license is added to Wallet, users will be able to access it for use at supported TSA checkpoints. Users can see what information is being requested, then consent to provide the information with Face ID or Touch ID. This works similarly to Apple Pay — meaning users don’t have to unlock their iPhone to use the feature. The information is then sent to an identity reader through encrypted communication. Because the information is shared digitally, users won’t have to hand over their physical ID card nor will they have to hand over their device. The TSA will also capture a picture of the traveler for verification.

Apple says that, soon, other states will offer the feature as well, including Colorado, Hawaii, Mississippi, Ohio, and the territory of Puerto Rico. And it had previously announced seven states were planning to come on board, including Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Utah, in addition to Arizona.

Apple first introduced its plan to support driver’s licenses and IDs in Apple Wallet at its developer conference last year. But in an update published on the iOS 15 website in November, Apple quieted disclosed the feature would be delayed until early 2022. The company, of course, is at the mercy of state governments to get such a feature off the ground, given they have to verify the user’s ID.

The new feature is supported iPhone 8 or later devices running iOS 15.4, and Apple Watch Series 4 or later running watchOS 8.4 or later. For the time being, only select TSA checkpoints in some states will support the feature.