New Mexico just joined the list of states whose residents can store a digital version of their driver’s license and state ID in Apple Wallet on their iPhone.
With Thursday’s addition, there are now nine U.S. states that support the feature.
New Mexico driver’s license goes in iPhone’s Apple Wallet
With Apple Pay making real progress toward ending the need for a physical credit card, the days of the old-fashioned wallet would be drawing to a close, except that so many people can’t get around without a driver’s license.
Still, Apple is doing what it can. A digital version of a driver’s license can go into Apple Wallet. That said, Apple launched its digital ID initiative back in 2021, but adoption moves slowly. In the U.S., it depends on state legislatures and state transportation departments to permit and implement the system. Still, 2024 brought multiple additions to the list of states that support digital IDs.
And New Mexico is the latest. As of Thursday, iPhone users in the state can go to the Apple Wallet app on their iPhone and add their digital ID. Unfortunately, its usefulness is limited.
“New Mexico mobile driver’s licenses and state IDs do not replace physical licenses or identification cards, as they are an optional addition to those credentials,” said the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division. “New Mexicans must still carry their physical licenses when driving.”
The digital ID is mostly useful when going through TSA checkpoints in airports. But that’s true for all the states that have adopted Apple’s system — so far, no state lets a digital driver’s license completely replace a physical one when interacting with police.
Support keeps growing
2024 was a big year for digital driver’s licenses. Ohio got on the bandwagon in July, while California began rolling out its implementation in August, soon followed by Hawaii. Apple’s system for digital driver’s licenses and state IDs had already been successfully implemented in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia and Maryland.
Those in any of these states should read the handy Cult of Mac on how to add your driver’s license to Apple Wallet on your iPhone and Apple Watch.
via: Engadget
