Puerto Rico now supports Apple’s digital ID system so driver’s licenses from the U.S. territory can be stored in the Wallet app on iPhone.
2024 is a banner year for the system, with five states or territories being added, doubling the previous total.
Puerto Rico driver’s licenses can now go into Apple Wallet
Plenty of people look forward to the day when a physical wallet is no longer needed, and an iPhone can take its place. Apple Pay is making real progress toward ending the need for a physical credit card, but millions of people can’t leave home without a driver’s license in their pocket. Apple is doing what it can to remove that latter restriction, though.
There are ten U.S. states or territories in which a digital version of a driver’s license can go into Apple Wallet now that Puerto Rico joined the list.
iPhone users in the territory can go to the Apple Wallet app on their iPhone and add their digital ID. Read our “how to” for more details.
Mostly for travelers
At this point, the primary use for digital ID is when going through TSA checkpoints in airports. The Transportation Security Administration installed in Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport the scanners necessary to allow airline passengers to use their state-issued mobile driver’s license or mobile identification card in place of a physical one.
“TSA is committed to leveraging technology to enhance airport security, reduce touchpoints, and provide greater privacy protections to individuals at TSA checkpoints,” said TSA’s Federal Security Director for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands Mariely Loperena Moure.
But we’re still very early in the process of adopting digital IDs. The TSA warns travelers that they must also carry a physical driver’s license or identification card. And, so far, no state lets a digital driver’s license completely replace a physical one when interacting with police.
Progress on digital IDs
Apple launched its digital ID initiative back in 2021, but adoption moves slowly. In the U.S., state legislatures and state transportation departments must permit and then implement the system.
Still, there’s been significant progress just this year. Ohio got on the bandwagon in July, while California began rolling out its implementation in August, soon followed by Hawaii. And New Mexico joined earlier this month. Apple’s system for digital driver’s licenses and state IDs had already been successfully implemented in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia and Maryland.
