Utah is one of the first eight states anticipating digital driver’s licenses and state IDs with Apple Wallet, Apple announced last month.
Utah, Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland and Oklahoma are all working to allow digital ID use in airports, grocery stores and state liquor stores.
“The addition of driver’s licenses and state IDs to Apple Wallet is an important step in our vision of replacing the physical wallet with a secure and easy-to-use mobile wallet,” Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet said in a news release.
According to Bailey, Apple is already in discussion with other state officials and is working to offer digital IDs in Apple Wallet nationwide.
Josh Holbrook, a supervisor at the Orem Driver License Division Office for the past 11 years, said Utah’s pilot mobile licenses are currently one of the most credible forms of digital licenses in the nation.
“So far, ours has more authentication factors involved in it than some of the other states. It has to be IRS compliant, so they’re working with places like banks, grocery stores, liquor stores, TSA, etc.,” Holbrook said.
Law enforcement will also use digital licenses, Holbrook said, as police officers no longer will need a physical copy of a driver’s license when someone is pulled over. Through Bluetooth, they can request access to a mobile license or ID and view it on their own device.
As driver’s licenses and state IDs move toward digitization, talk has increased about whether colleges should follow suit with athletic passes and student IDs. This excites some BYU students.
BYU ROC passes are now available on Apple Wallet for the first time this year, making attending sports events easier. BYU student IDs are also electronically available on the BYU app, making it easier to use Cougar Cash, access meal plans and use the Frontrunner, according to student users.
Construction management senior Levi Harper has welcomed the technological advances with open arms, saying that it makes things more efficient as they always carry their phone with them.
“I think as long as fraud can be prevented, it can be an awesome addition,” Harper said. “I think that in this day and age where everything is on your phone, it makes sense that your ID would be on your phone. It would minimize the amount of things you had to carry.”
Apple said in its news release the company is also looking to add home, apartment and hotel keys, and corporate badges to Apple Wallets.
