The North Carolina DMV has confirmed plans to implement a mobile ID program.
Apple may soon begin supporting digital IDs in four additional states, expanding to the 14 where the feature is already available. North Carolina, at least, has confirmed its membership. The state’s Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) recently confirmed plans to roll out a mobile ID program in December.
These digital IDs will first be available in the state’s NC Wallet app (not to be confused with a crypto app of the same name). The DMV plans to expand support for Apple Wallet, Google Wallet and Samsung Wallet early next year. Those with a valid North Carolina driver’s license or state ID will be able to create a mobile ID at no additional cost.
The DMV notes that TSA checkpoints at more than 250 airports in the United States accept its mobile IDs, including Charlotte Douglas International Airport and Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Law enforcement officers will also treat mobile IDs as valid identification. But if an officer doesn’t have a compatible reader when stopping someone’s car, they can ask the driver to read the license information. The agency also suggests that it might be better for people to keep the physical version of their credentials as a backup while “retailers, restaurants and other businesses transition to mobile credentials.”
Elsewhere, Apple Wallet may soon support digital IDs in Oklahoma, Utah and Virginia. Woozad said it has seen some code suggesting this, but there is no indication when mobile IDs will be available in these states. Apple Wallet currently supports digital IDs in Arizona (which was the first state to sign up), Maryland, Colorado, Georgia, Ohio, Hawaii, California, Iowa, New Mexico, Montana, North Dakota, West Virginia, Illinois, Arkansas, and Puerto Rico.
