There is a saying in my family: When you go out, you must take your “keys, wallet, and mobile phone” with you. It helps remind us of the basics we should know before the door is locked from the outside. If you’re in California, you can reduce your list to two simple items: keys and your phone. Leaked news shows that California’s official digital driver’s licenses and ID cards are coming to Apple Wallet.
The news comes from a dormant California Department of Motor Vehicles page referenced on Apple Wallet’s official Wikipedia page, which was first reported by MacRumors on Monday. California is listed as an “upcoming state” on the Apple Wallet Wikipedia page. There’s a link to the page if you want to check it out for yourself, but it’s missing important assets like supporting videos and images, which suggests it’s not ready for public consumption.
If you live in California, you can use the official DMV app to store these credentials. However, once this feature goes live, all you need is Apple Wallet. It makes it easier to multitask between your iPhone and Apple Watch when you need to present them, such as at an airport security line or as an encrypted link to a third party. It also reduces the likelihood that you’ll leave it at the bar or grocery store.
When Apple launched Digital ID in 2021, eight states were on board, but only three immediately followed suit. Five U.S. states currently offer embedded versions of this useful feature. When the feature rolled out in 2021, Arizona, Maryland and Colorado were first mentioned, but it won’t be fully implemented until 2022. Georgia later jumped on the bandwagon in 2023, while Ohio State did so just last week.
California’s adoption of digital licenses and ID cards is good news for the rest of the country. Sadly, you’ll still need to carry your car keys, unless you’re one of the few early adopters of a luxury car with embedded ultra-wideband remote unlocking.
