A new option for presenting ID is available for Virginians with iPhones.
To prove their identity, Virginia residents can now upload their driver’s license or state ID to Apple Wallet, the Virginia DMV announced this week.
The tech functions similarly to a digital credit card. Instead of presenting a physical ID, people with an iPhone or Apple Watch can now simply tap their device against an identity reader.
The phone or watch will use facial recognition to verify the user’s identity.
“It is easy, it is simple, and really important for all of you folks that are concerned about privacy issues, it is very secure, and it is seamless. So don’t hesitate,” Secretary of Transportation Nick Donohue said at a press conference, according to the Virginia Mercury.
The tech is currently only available on iPhone. Android users can still use the Virginia Mobile ID app, a digital identification option that launched in November.
Similar to Mobile ID, IDs on Apple Wallet will only work at participating businesses and airports, and they don’t replace physical ID cards.
“You’ll still need to carry a physical ID for use with law enforcement and venues where proof of age is required but mobile IDs are not yet accepted,” a DMV webpage says. “In the future, you can look forward to more places accepting ID in Apple Wallet.”
Users can access their ID on up to two iPhones and one Apple Watch. When a driver’s license or ID is renewed, the ID on Apple Wallet will automatically update.
“We know how important it is to make identification easier to carry and use, and Virginians have been asking for more ways to do that,” DMV Commissioner Saundra Jack said at the press conference. “So much of our everyday life is on our phone, and now so is your Virginia ID in Apple Wallet.”
Virginia is the 15th state to implement Apple Wallet IDs. The technology debuted in 2021.
Photo via Virginia DMV
