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Arizona will be the first state to use Apple’s digital driver’s license and state ID, the iPhone manufacturer revealed last week. “Arizonans can now add their driver’s license or state ID to Wallet and touch their iPhone or Apple Watch to present it at specified TSA security checkpoints in Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport,” according to the company.
You can add your license or ID to Wallet directly from the Wallet app if you live in Arizona. According to Apple, after taking images of the front and back of your license or ID, you will be “prompted to complete a series of facial and head gestures during the setup process.” Apple will not be authorizing requests to add licenses or IDs to Wallet; instead, Arizona will be in charge, according to the company.
If you wish to show your digital license or ID to TSA at the airport, the procedure is as follows:
On their iPhone or Apple Watch, users will be shown which information is requested by the TSA, and can consent to provide it with Face ID or Touch ID, without having to unlock their iPhone or show their ID card. All information is shared digitally, so users do not need to show or hand over their device to present their ID.
According to Apple, “the TSA will also capture an image of the traveler for verification purposes” throughout this process. The Verge asked the TSA for information on where such photographs would be stored, how they might keep them private, and if the photos will be deleted after a specific length of time, and Apple indicated it would forward their inquiries to the TSA for further explanation.
According to a TSA press release, the option will initially be available only to passengers utilizing PSA PreCheck at the Phoenix airport. Passengers must also keep their physical driver’s license or ID on them and have it handy in case of an emergency.
How soon is now?
Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, the territory of Puerto Rico, and Utah are among the states that will offer the driver’s license and ID function “soon.”
It is an exciting development, as if these things are being pushed forward on iOS it is reasonable to believe that Android is not going to be far behind. Google Waller on Android has gotten a lot more useful over the past year and thanks to the hurdles in registration that are currently being cleared for Apple, Google should be able to piggyback on that work and offer similar digital ID cards to its users as well.
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