Arizona will be the first U.S. state to allow people to digitally save their driver’s license or state ID in Apple’s Wallet app, according to Apple. Last October, the business announced that it had secured the state as one of the first to provide the new function. Beginning at various TSA security checkpoints in Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Apple device owners will be able to submit their ID by tapping their iPhone or Apple Watch.
To get started, Arizona residents can open the Wallet app on their iPhone and hit the addition “+” icon at the top of the screen, then select “Driver’s License or State ID,” and then follow the on-screen instructions to begin the setup and verification process, according to Apple. After snapping a selfie, the person is authenticated by scanning both the back and front of their current driver’s license or state ID card.
During the setup procedure, users are also asked to execute a series of face and head motions as an extra fraud prevention step. The software will show the user a camera view in which they must swivel their head to the side to ensure that they have not, for example, held up an image to the camera in an attempt to commit fraud.
These scans, together with the user’s photo, are sent to the issuing state for verification in a safe manner. Apple also transmits a number signal of how certain it is that the person providing the ID is the rightful owner. The video of the individual moving their head, which was required during verification, is not sent. The approval procedure takes only a few minutes, and customers will be alerted when the ID is ready in Wallet, much as when they add credit cards.
Users will be able to access the ID or license after it has been uploaded to Wallet for use at supported TSA checkpoints. Users will not be needed to hand up their actual ID card or their smartphone because the information would be transferred digitally, according to Apple. A photograph of the traveler will be taken by the TSA reader for additional verification.
Apple says that, soon, other states will offer the feature as well, including Colorado, Hawaii, Mississippi, Ohio, and the territory of Puerto Rico. Following the initial states adoption of the technology, other states including Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Utah will follow.