January 21, 2025
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Here’s how you could put your driver’s license on an iPhone or Apple Wallet later in 2025

By Marni Pyke - Daily Herald Media Group
The new iPhone X is displayed in the showroom after the new product announcement at the Steve Jobs Theater on the new Apple campus on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017, in Cupertino, Calif.

Owners of iPhones and Apple watches will be able to place driver's licenses and state IDs on their devices later in 2025, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP)

Can you please show your ID? Illinoisans can anticipate whipping out their iPhones to display driver’s licenses instead of digging into their wallets later this year.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced his office is working on allowing mobile driver’s licenses and state IDs to be stored on iPhones and Apple watches.

The goal is to launch the new program by the end of 2025 and offer it on Google Wallet for Android users in the future.

“We’re excited to have kick-started our work with Apple – a company that shares our commitment to data security – to provide IDs in Apple Wallet that will offer convenience and privacy for Illinoisans,” Giannoulias said in a statement.

Testing is ongoing to ensure the feature is secure and private.

Once finalized, users could add an ID or license to Apple Wallet and then use their devices to present it without needing a physical card.

The mobile option offers more privacy than traditional cards because individuals won’t have to show their address when purchasing alcohol, for example, state officials said.

Giannoulias noted the program is optional and meant to be a companion for actual cards, not a replacement.

To learn more about the rollout and when it will debut, residents can sign up for updates at ilsos.gov/departments/drivers/drivers_license/mDL.

Ten other states already offer digital IDs, including Arizona, Colorado, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, New Mexico, Ohio and Puerto Rico.

“This is the first component of a multifaceted approach to deliver a state-of-the-art mobile driver’s license and state ID program that leverages best-in-class technology for residents,” Giannoulias said last week.

Offering digital IDs and licenses was enabled by a change in state law approved in 2024.

For additional information about Apple Wallet, go to learn.wallet.apple/id.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20250121/transportation/heres-how-you-could-put-your-drivers-license-on-an-iphone-or-apple-wallet-later-in-2025/

IllinoisAlexi GiannouliasIllinois Secretary of State