Once implemented, residents will be able to add their driver’s licences and state IDs to iPhone or Apple Watch and present them in person and within mobile apps. The plan is to bring mobile driver’s licences (mDLs) and IDs to Google Wallet and other major digital wallet platforms in the future.
Illinois is the 11th state to adopt IDs in Apple Wallet, along with Arizona, Colorado, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, New Mexico, Ohio, and Puerto Rico. The push for mDLs is also ongoing in New Jersey, with its governor making the case for two bills, S1297 and A3518, which would require the Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to implement a program for mDLs and digital ID.
Illinois will include robust testing requirements to ensure the office delivers secure and private products for its residents.
Sign-up for the optional mDL programme is now available, but they are not considered a replacement for a physical ID card.
The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles has issued a release that aims to set things straight on the state’s Mobile ID mDL, which more than 170,000 New Yorkers have claimed since it was launched in June 2024.
The DMV debunks some common myths, noting that Mobile IDs are not simply a photo of the physical plastic ID card, they are privacy preserving and do not require users to hand over their phone to a verifier, and the government is not tracking citizens through Mobile ID. When and where you use your Mobile ID is only stored on your phone and cannot be retrieved by the DMV.
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