When support for digital IDs was announced at WWDC in 2021, Apple Pay VP Jennifer Bailey touted the feature as the final thing needed to let you be “fully free of your physical wallet.” As it stands today, the feature is available in Colorado, Arizona, and Maryland. You can use digital IDs at “select TSA checkpoints” at participating airports.
With three states currently supporting the feature, Apple has teased that the following states are also working on digital IDs for Apple: Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Utah.
As spotted however, California governor Gavin Newsom teased today the state is also hard at work on implementing a digital ID system for residents. Newsom unveiled his budget proposal for 2023 and 2024 today, and in his remarks, he mentioned that people will soon be able to “get your driver’s license on a digital wallet.”
While he didn’t offer any further details, Newsom bragged that California’s system will be “next level” and that the set is “going to do it like no other state has done it.”
In just a matter of months, we’re finally going to have those digital wallets, where you can get your driver’s license on a digital wallet. And we’re going to do it like no other state has done it. There’s only a few that have. But there’s issues. Ours we think it’ll be next level. We’re so excited about what the DMV can look like.
As you might have noticed, California is not on Apple’s list of states that have committed to support storing digital IDs in Apple Wallet. California itself has also not publicly confirmed its intention of supporting Apple’s platform. Details are still unclear, but California could silo its digital IDs system in its own dedicated app.
Newsom made big promises for Californian’s implementation of digital IDs. To make those grandiose statements and not support Apple Wallet would be a bold move – especially given that Apple itself is headquartered in California.
