You Can Put Your Driver’s License on Your iPhone. Here’s How
From Southwest to United, most airlines allow you to travel with a digital version of your boarding pass. And now, some states are letting residents clear airport security with a digital version of their driver’s license too. Rather than root through your bag, all you have to do is flash your Apple Wallet on your iPhone or Apple Watch.
“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, vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, said in a statement in 2021.
It’s not quite a universal game-changer yet: While 12 states have committed to digital IDs, only three have officially started accepting them. And while the airport you depart from might accept a license on your Apple Watch, you might not be extended the same courtesy on the return trip.
Read more: Homeland Security Postpones Deadline for Real ID at Airports
The Transportation Security Administration is already supporting the technology at select airport security checkpoints. So it’s really a question of when, not if the option will becomes standard nationwide.
Here’s what you need to know about putting your driver’s license in your Apple Wallet, including how to do it and which states recognize digital IDs. For more on travel, check out the eleven things that should be on everyone’s travel checklist and the difference between TSA PreCheck and Global Entry.
How do I add my driver’s license to my Apple Wallet?

To add a ID to your Apple Wallet, tap the “plus” button at the top of the screen.
Dan Avery/CNET
Apple built the technology to upload your ID to your Apple Wallet into iOS 15 for the iPhone. The process is