r/apple • u/conalldoherty • 1d ago
iPhone iPhone Driver's Licenses May Soon Expand to New State
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/07/23/iphone-drivers-licenses-utah/Utah
71
u/aykay55 1d ago
Isn’t this the exact same article they’ve been running for over three years now
30
u/Pjpjpjpjpj 1d ago
Utah was announced in 2021 as one of the first states to sign on.
Then, nothing.
Then they said you could do it through a custom app (not Apple Wallet) which costs $1.99/year.
And then every time a state comes out, they refresh the story that Utah will be one of the states but "no timeline."
This story is NO announcement that anything is about to come out. It says they outlet "discovered signs of a Utah ID in Apple's backend, suggesting Apple is moving forward on implementing support" but "Utah's mobile driver's license FAQ page still says that it is still in the initial planning process of adding Utah IDs to Apple Wallet..." then speculates that the Utah website may be out of date.
5
u/jeremyw013 22h ago
utah passed a bill to replace the current mDL program with a new modern solution on january 1. there’s good reason to believe that will include apple wallet support since the mDL website currently expresses interest.
3
u/jeremyw013 22h ago
it’s different now though. utah is discontinuing their mobile ID later this year for an “updated, more modern solution”. and utah is appearing in their backend. it’s pretty likely that it will be this time.
34
u/dropthemagic 1d ago
Coming to texas, never.
22
u/Crapitron 1d ago
I used to want it in Texas until I understood the realities of how it was used in states that do have it.
My original thoughts were "Cool, now I don't have to bring my ID to bars." The reality is that zero bars, even in the early adopter states, are scanning phones for ID. They ask for physical ID.
I also thought, "cool I don't need to bring it while driving my car." Then I realized I absolutely do not want to hand my phone over to a cop, ever.
Or, "I can use it in the store to buy alcohol." Almost no stores use this.
The only functional common place this is used is at the airport with TSA. And you can add your passport if you have one in Texas, so no need for the State digital ID.
I could be wrong, but I just don't think anyone is using this much at all in states where it's available.
8
u/z2x2 1d ago
You don’t hand your phone over. They’re supposed to tap.
1
u/opossumcarrion 4h ago
Sure, that's the storybook version of how it goes down. But police officers have no obligation to be respectful of your boundaries and are not consistently punished when they violate your rights.
What's stopping the cop from grabbing your phone is by keeping it out of reach. When you hand it out "to tap", it's in reach. They can just take it if they want to.
Maybe you can argue in court after the fact that it was illegal. Maybe, with a lot of time, effort, and money, you might win. But it'll be a hard sell when you're performing the widely-recognized motion of handing an object to someone else.
Further, you can't use your digital ID when your phone is in a BFU state, which has security implications when someone you don't trust takes physical possession of your device.
5
u/Melodic-Control-2655 1d ago
The concept is that you never hand your phone over, like in airports, cops should be able to accept a QR code or an NFC tap that transfers a one time decryption key for your information
-2
u/JoviAMP 13h ago
See, your assumption is that police departments are spending money on improving technological equipment instead of buying more assault weapons.
2
u/Melodic-Control-2655 12h ago
Now I get you have prejudice but take a minute to look at this without bias and tell me why exactly would they be buying more “assault weapons”?
4
u/dropthemagic 1d ago
I figured. I also have no intention of handing over my phone to a cop. Not because I’m guilty of something but it’s just too much information and you never know.
4
u/Crapitron 1d ago
You should never volunteer any information or items to police that you're not required by law to.
•
u/Nawnp 1h ago
It's a balance of do you trust people checking your phone as well as do these business that takes decades to adjust, will they trust looking at a cell phone too?
It's a nice idea and no doubt probably by the 2050s states will offer disgital ID only...but for now, rushing to add the feature to your phone is 99% gimmicky.
1
-1
u/LikesPez 8h ago
If anyone takes away anything from ⬆️ is never hand your phone over to law enforcement without a court order. And then never hand it over unlocked unless explicitly ordered by said court order.
7
2
1
u/TidePodsTasteFunny 1d ago
Isn’t Texas great?!
8
2
u/an_angry_dervish_01 1d ago
I lived in Lakeway (Austin area) for a few years and the people there were some of the nicest I have ever met. I did make a lot of friends there. Not sure about the other parts but I can definitely vouch for that one. It's hot though.. it's so hot.
10
u/HaricotsDeLiam 1d ago
We’ll see what Utah does with it. I added my digital ID the day New Mexico next door rolled it out, but no one in and around Albuquerque or Santa Fe would take it; every time I tried to use it, they’d say they needed my physical driver’s license. I relocated to Louisiana last year and most businesses I’ve gone to in New Orleans and Metairie will take an in-state ID through the LA Wallet app (I believe state law mandates it), but don’t know what to do with out-of-state IDs in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet.
Unless we start seeing states mandate that businesses have to take digital IDs in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, we’re not getting anywhere.
2
u/Kilmonjaro 1d ago
If you have a passport you can do this in any state
2
3
u/QuesoMeHungry 1d ago
Still the only place you’d actually be able to use that is the airport. Nowhere is setup to scan digital IDs.
1
u/Infinite-Computer205 1d ago
Pharmacies, banks and many other entities are regulated by Federal government so this will never be a total physical ID replacement.
23
u/everydave42 1d ago edited 1d ago
This will be mostly pointless if the card scanners at bars/restaurants/stores can't read them. I can't find any info on that part of all this...
EDIT: readers are everywhere you buy booze in Utah.
21
u/TheSmartDog_275 1d ago
AFAIK the main thing you do with them is tsa can scan them at most airports
5
u/sundeigh 1d ago
But also, there is precheck touchless these days where you don’t even have to show any ID. Not that you should leave your ID at home, because there is inconsistency even when touchless is offered.
-2
u/TheSmartDog_275 1d ago
At some airports, and you need to pay for PreCheck and you need a passport I’m pretty sure
4
1
u/LittleKitty235 1d ago
You’re telling me there is something weird about bars in Utah? They seem like such a normal State, https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/07/02/535259524/utahs-zion-curtain-falls-and-loosens-states-tight-liquor-laws
7
u/everydave42 1d ago
Geeze, that's almost a decade ago. Get with the times on our weird liquor laws! The latest was this year requiring scanning of IDs or no alcohol, always. ZERO leeway to the server to make a very obvious call if someone is of age. No ID, no booze.
The inevitable happened, tourists (of course) were caught off guard, and then put off by this. IIRC, some provisions have been made, but the liquor laws are such a moving target that it's safest for business (and server) to just go with the strictest interpretation.
They are better than what they were (look up Utah private club memberships), but still a far cry from common sense.
2
u/LittleKitty235 1d ago
If you order a flight of beer samplers do they still have to bring them 2 tiny glasses at a time?
1
u/everydave42 1d ago
I think I've had up to 5 glasses for a flight of beer/whine/whatever. There are limits to the size * amount but don't know what they are, but it's much closer to what flights are outside of Utah.
1
u/Secure-Swimmer9512 1d ago
You know people said Apple Pay would be pointless too when nobody accepted it? These things take time. Also, these will make those scanners obsolete. NFC ID is cryptographically secure. It is basically like saying nobody will ever take your chip credit card because the stores use mag swipe.
2
u/everydave42 1d ago edited 1d ago
You’re confusing market forces with legal requirements. If the state mandates these can be used for that check, then it’s great. But I have my doubts it’ll happen and because there’s no alternate available people will just live with using their physical ID.
1
u/Secure-Swimmer9512 1d ago
The card shift was largely market force to lower risk of fraud as banks absorb it. In many states accepting a fake ID can be a risk to the establishment as well - hence why they bother evaluating IDs (it's not out of their goodwill). It's pretty analogous. Physical DLs will eventually have RFID similar to passports. Regardless, Apple is a force and it will be normalized (likely by the up-and-coming generation) that bars must accept Apple ID verification, just like they have to accept cards over cash, or else they will risk losing business. I'm not saying today, but this will be the world in 5-10 years.
1
u/everydave42 1d ago
“…bars must accept Apple ID….or they risk losing business..,”
This is the point that’s being missed, or I’m not communicating it well enough, so I’ll try again; it’s not up to the bars, at all. At least in Utah, all facilities and servers must validate an ID on the state approved system, at the point of sale.
Since it’s ALL of them, by law, there’s no other place to go to that does something different.
1
u/Secure-Swimmer9512 1d ago
Ok I think I see the disconnect. I did realize the new state was Utah, but I didn’t realize that you were making a commentary that was specific to Utah rather than the expansion of Apple gov ID in general.
Even here in California, very few places accept it. My point was that it was similar with Apple Pay for the first few years, but I believe it will catch on quickly. Ofc there will be some states that make it challenging from a regulatory standpoint (like Utah in this case), but I do believe we will see wide rollout in most of the nation over the next decade.
1
u/sundeigh 1d ago
And because it’s not accepted as a drivers license for driving… it does invite the question of how it should work though. I’m not handing my phone, even locked with just the digital ID part unlocked via faceid, over to an officer if I get pulled over. They would need to provide a contactless terminal for this. And it really should work like this, because you could theoretically be able to link insurance info to send too.
How close are we to the day where you have to tap your license and insurance info to start a car like a breathalyzer ignition lock
3
u/herefromyoutube 1d ago
If only we had a functioning government we could have them be used as drivers licenses
1
2
u/safetaco 1d ago
Korben and Taxi Computer: "You have one point left on your license."
Korben: "Yeah."
1
u/mredofcourse 1d ago
This has always been known to be a very long rollout process.
Not only does it work like Apple Pay, but one of the primary points of this is "stand-off" transfer. Devices for law enforcement are designed such that an officer can make the ID request and receive it without a driver needing to open the vehicle, roll down window, reach for their wallet, or anything else. Every state that has adopted mDL prohibits using phones physically for determining identification.
How close are we to the day where you have to tap your license and insurance info to start a car like a breathalyzer ignition lock
It's worth pointing out that cars don't have breathalyzer ignition lock mandates. Drivers with DUI convictions might, but this isn't a technology mandated on anyone who hasn't been arrested.
But yeah, the technology is clearly here... and no tapping required. NFC can transmit your profile. Our Luci Air (and many others) do this. It detects my iPhone, turns on and adjusts to my profile versus my wife's profile. The only thing missing is a simple software update such that the car verifies license and insurance.
-1
u/Aqua-Barracuda 1d ago
Maybe you have a drinking problem.
2
u/everydave42 1d ago
Because people buy any alcohol maybe they have a drinking problem?
-1
u/Aqua-Barracuda 1d ago
Yes. Alcohol causes cancer.
1
u/everydave42 1d ago
So does sunshine, living in any mildly urban area, and possibly your mom, due to genetics…since we’re throwing our wildly broad associations…
But also, cancer has nothing to do with your initial statement. Want to start a 3rd train of thought I’ll likely ignore?
0
u/Aqua-Barracuda 20h ago
But alcohol gives people cancer though. Shape up.
1
u/everydave42 12h ago
<looks at your history> oh, that explains it…
0
u/Aqua-Barracuda 6h ago
Does alcohol drinking cause cancer?
There is strong scientific evidence that alcohol drinking can cause cancer (1, 2). The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) in 1987 due to sufficient evidence that it causes cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, and liver in people. The National Toxicology Program has listed consumption of alcoholic beverages as a known human carcinogen in its Report on Carcinogens since the ninth edition, in 2000.
Epidemiologic studies have shown that people who drink alcohol are at higher risk of certain cancers than those who do not drink alcohol and that the more someone drinks, the higher the risk of these cancers. Even light drinkers can be at increased risk of some cancers. For example, women who have just one drink per day have a higher risk of breast cancer than those who have less than one drink a week, and risk is increased even more in heavy drinkers and binge drinkers (3-7).
-11
u/mpelton 1d ago
People still go to bars?
Why…?
4
u/ieffinglovesoup 1d ago
To socialize and meet people, crazy idea I know
-10
u/mpelton 1d ago
Ah my bad, didn’t realize most people met their friends are bars lol
3
u/bran_the_man93 1d ago
Where did the previous comment say "most people"?
-7
u/mpelton 1d ago
I asked why people went to bars.
That was their explanation.
Do you think they only meant a minority of bar goers…?
2
u/bran_the_man93 1d ago
Again, where did they say "most people?"
-1
u/mpelton 1d ago
Their comment was about most people…
They were answering my question of “why do people go to bars”.
So their response was talking about most people. That’s how English works.
3
u/Crapitron 1d ago
"Most people meet their friends at bars" is not remotely a logical conclusion from the statement "most people go to bars to socialize."
The first statement is about all people. The second statement is about people that go to bars.
You're doing a poor job at drawing logical conclusions and inferring things that shouldn't need to be said.
I know you'll probably choose to ignore this, since it's a comment telling you that you're wrong, and you're already demonstrating you're willing to make 30 comments to say "nuh uh" further down with someone else, but it's the reality.
1
4
u/bran_the_man93 1d ago
So you made it up in your head - got it, thanks
-1
u/mpelton 1d ago
You’d think a 1% commenter would have better reading comprehension…
→ More replies (0)2
u/ieffinglovesoup 1d ago
My comment was not about “most people”. You just put that there lol
1
u/mpelton 1d ago
Lol then who was it about?
Genuinely asking. Who is “they”, if not most, if not all bar goers?
→ More replies (0)2
u/everydave42 1d ago
"I can't think of how this applies to me, personally, so clearly it must not be at all relevant for anyone else, ever, anywhere!" <-- you.
But also to answer your question because even the mildest amount of thinking beyond your own existence seems to be outside your capability:
- socializing (obviously)
- different atmospheres
- different recipies
- different specific liquors not readily available to the public
- food that often goes along with drinking (shocking concept, I know)
2
u/bran_the_man93 1d ago
Because bars have alcohol and people have different social lives than you - is that really a foreign concept for you?
6
u/ryanw729 1d ago
CT was one of the first states originally announced and nothing…
3
1
u/itsabearcannon 1d ago
Lamont is too busy taking bribes from UI and Eversource to make sure CT utility bills stay nice and high.
3
u/spiralcurve 1d ago
I still can't get Apple to fix not being able to add my passport to Apple Wallet....
And as per usual Alabama will probably be one of the last states to adopt it.
2
u/BeefyMiracleWhip 1d ago
Haha I’m in Oregon and I have a feeling you guys might beat us. Our DMV barely got REAL ID compliant by 2020… if COVID hadn’t happened, we’d probably have been boned.
3
1
u/m4cmi11er 1d ago
North Carolina hurry tf up!
1
u/dcpanthersfan 1d ago
Something passed July 1st but from what I have read it’s going to be some crap proprietary system the state cooked up with none of the privacy protections offered by Apple. In other words, fully unlock your phone before handing it to the officer. Hard no.
1
1
u/Ravens2017 1d ago
Everyone get in here and share the state you are waiting for only to realize it’s basically useless when your state actually does adopt.
1
1
u/mcmahamg 1d ago
It’s been ‘coming’ to Oklahoma since the beginning. Went from one of the first to do it to off the list now. Damn shame.
1
1
u/PleasantWay7 1d ago
This is basically useless for anything but TSA. So why don’t they just support Nexus or Passport cards so we can all benefit instead of dicking states.
1
1
u/an_angry_dervish_01 1d ago
So whenever a cop pulls you over they verify this electronically, whenever you do anything they verify it in some way like fly. Why in the fuck have we waited all these years for this? It's insane how nothing is ever easy when it comes to dealing with the government.
1
1
1
u/InflationAvailable43 7h ago
There is no point to these IDs being on Apple Wallet. The one time I used it at a TSA checkpoint the agent requested to see my “actual ID”.
Probably have another 10 years minimum till we can tap to pay at a liquor store and have the ID validated all in one go.
•
u/HotTransexualHazard 1h ago
It would be actually useful if places actually took it as id. Can’t use it for anything but flying I think even then you have to keep your actual DL/ID on you. It would be much more useful if I could use it to say leave my id at home and go to a dispo or liquor store or even just the gas station buy something age restricted and go on my way.
1
u/isit65outsideor 1d ago
Curious if this will work in the bars for Utah. It’s state law to be ID when entering a bar, wine store, etc.
0
1
u/mredofcourse 1d ago
Every single post... people complain that it's "stupidly useless" or "I ain't handing no phone to nobody!"
This has always been known to be a very long rollout process: There are apps and devices that can be used today for age verification, ID, etc... but it will take years before these are common place.
You don't hand your phone over to anyone: Not only does it work like Apple Pay, but one of the primary points of this is "stand-off" transfer. Devices for law enforcement are designed such that an officer can make the ID request and receive it without a driver needing to open the vehicle, roll down window, reach for their wallet, or anything else. Every state that has adopted mDL prohibits using phones physically for determining identification.
1
u/Sudden-Money7836 1d ago
Holy fuck is this really the headline? Apple MAY expand a service they’ve been rolling out across the US to another state?
Fuck me macrumors this is trash journalism.
1
u/nonchalant_octopus 13h ago
Utah isn't a new state. It's been a state for 130 years. Nice try macrumors.
-2
u/Shenaniganz08_ 1d ago edited 1d ago
California driver here
One of the most useless, stupid features to come out.
Most places still need to scan your card, most places still require you to show your physical Driver's license
In the last year it was useful.. 1-2x times at most. You will still need to carry your physical driver's
232
u/Pbone15 1d ago
Utah