Apple will allow driver's licenses to be stored on Apple Wallet: Here's what you need to know

Arizona one of the first states to allow its drivers licenses to be put into Apple Wallet

Officials with Apple announced on Sept. 1 that Arizona, along with Georgia, will be the first two states where residents can upload their driver's license onto its Wallet app. FOX 10's Jennifer Martinez reports.

PHOENIX - Officials with Apple released more details on its upcoming plan to allow people to ad their driver's licenses or state ID into Apple Wallet.

According to a statement, officials with the tech giant said Arizona and Georgia will be the first states to allow their residents to do that, followed by Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Utah.

"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 Apple Vice President of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, Jennifer Bailey, in the statement.

Here's what you need to know about the new feature.

How to add a driver's license to Apple Wallet

According to Apple officials, adding a driver's license to Apple Wallet is similar to adding a credit card, with some differences.

Officials say in the Wallet app, users can press the "+" button to add their license or ID, and users with an Apple Watch will then be prompted to also add their driver's license to the Wallet app on their watch.

"The customer will then be asked to use their iPhone to scan their physical driver’s license or state ID card and take a selfie, which will be securely provided to the issuing state for verification. As an additional security step, users will also be prompted to complete a series of facial and head movements during the setup process," read a portion of the statement.

Apple officials say the license will be added to the Wallet app once the license is verified by the state that issued it.

Some airports will also accept IDs in Apple Wallets

According to the statement, the TSA will also allow some security checkpoints and lanes in "participating airports" as the first locations customers can use the driver's license in their Wallet app.

The statement, however, did not elaborate which airports will allow travellers to use driver's licenses stored in Apple Wallet as a form of ID.

At participating airports, Apple officers say travellers can present the ID to TSA agents by tapping their iPhone or Apple Watch at an identity reader.

"Upon tapping their iPhone or Apple Watch, customers will see a prompt on their device displaying the specific information being requested by the TSA. Only after authorizing with Face ID or Touch ID is the requested identity information released from their device, which ensures that just the required information is shared and only the person who added the driver’s license or state ID to the device can present it," read a portion of the statement.

"It means that your whole life is on your phone," said Jon Haass. "People used to memorize phone numbers. I don’t memorize phone numbers anymore. We’re going to have more and more of our life reliant on this device, so it becomes this tether. I can’t go anywhere without my phone. I’m lost."

Apple addresses security concerns surrounding plan

In the same statement, Apple officials also addressed some questions surrounding the plan.

Officials say neither they nor officials with the state that issued the license will know when or where users presented their IDs, and the IDs are only presented digitally through encrypted communication between an Apple device and an identity reader, so users will not need to unlock, show, or hand over their device.

In addition, Apple officials say customers' identity data is encrypted, and if someone misplaces their iPhone or Apple Watch, they can use an Apple app called "Find My" to lock the device and help find it, or remotely wipe it.

When will it become available?

Officials with Apple say participating states and the TSA will "share more information at a later date about when support for mobile driver’s licenses and state IDs in Wallet will be available in each state, and which TSA airport security checkpoints and select lanes it will be available at first."

Don't some states already have digital IDs?

Prior to Apple's announcement, some states have already implemented digital IDs.

In March 2021, A company called IDEMIA announced that its company launched a mobile ID offering for Arizona, in partnership with ADOT. The same company also announced earlier in the year that it has launched similar offerings for Delaware and Oklahoma.