You Can Use Your iPhone As an Official ID in These States

Why do I always carry a wallet? My iPhone can handle just about everything you needed a traditional wallet for. Most (if not all) of my purchases are made via Apple Pay or a QR code, my phone has all my photos, and most of my receipts go straight to my email. Basically the only thing I keep with my wallet is to carry my ID card. However, once my state starts supporting Apple’s digital ID feature, things will change between me and my wallet, assuming that support ever comes.

Since iOS 15.4, Apple has let you add a driver’s license or other state ID to your iPhone’s digital wallet. That doesn’t mean you’ve been carrying your ID around unnecessarily since then: States have been slow to roll out their own support for the feature, and most haven’t signed on yet.

When I first covered this feature in 2022, only two states actively allowed you to add your ID to your iPhone, while 10 others (plus Puerto Rico) had confirmed plans to offer the option eventually, on a vague timeline of “soon.” Three years later, only 9 states and one territory now officially allow you to add credentials to Wallet.

These States Now Support Digital ID

Here is the full list as it exists in June 2025:

• Arizona

• California

• Colorado

• Georgia

• Hawaii

• Iowa

• Maryland

• Montana

• New Mexico

• North Dakota

• Ohio

• Puerto Rico

• West Virginia

Support is still “coming” in these states

These states had initially pledged that their support would “come soon,” but after nearly three years, they still have not committed:

• Connecticut

• Kentucky

• Mississippi

• Oklahoma

• Utah

Airports where you can use a digital ID in Apple Wallet

Now, be warned: you can’t just hand your iPhone to a cop when you’re arrested. There are specific, limited use cases for this feature. Currently, this means identifying yourself at the airport as well as some businesses. Apple worked with the TSA to achieve this, and while it maintained an active list of supported airpots, it appears to have removed it. Here is the list as it was updated:

• Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)

• Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport (CVG)

• Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)

• Denver International Airport (DEN)

• Des Moines International Airport (DSM)

• Eastern Iowa Airport (CID)

• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)

• John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH)

• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

• Luis Munoz Marín International Airport (SJU)

• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)

• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)

• San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

• San José Mineta International (SJC)

• Missoula International Airport (MSO)

• Great Falls International Airport (GTF)

• Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN)

• Billings-Logan International Airport (BIL)

• Lea County Regional Airport (HOB)

• Albuquerque International Solar Port (ABQ)

This feature will also work with participating businesses to verify your age, including bars, restaurants, liquor stores, festivals, concerts, and some age-restricted apps. However, there is no list of sites that support this feature.

How to add a digital ID to your iPhone

If you live in a supported state, setting up the feature is simple. Open Wallet, then tap the (+) at the top right, then choose “Driver’s License & ID Cards.” Choose your state, then choose whether you want to add the ID to your iPhone 8 or later, as well as your Apple Watch Series 4 or later. (There are caveats here: California requires an iPhone XS or later running iOS 17.5 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 4 running at least watchOS 10. Puerto Rico requires an iPhone

Either way, you’ll need to scan your ID with your iPhone’s camera and then scan your face to prove your identity. Once completed, send all information to your state to confirm. If you live in North Dakota, you will need to pay a $5 fee to use this feature.

Credit: Lifehacker

The next time you take a flight from a participating airport, you can unlock your iPhone and place it next to the ID scanner. You’ll see your digital ID appear, along with all the information you’ll share with TSA if you approve it (name, date of birth, gender, issuing authority, and issuance and expiration dates).