Apple introduces digital driver's licenses

Apple said Wednesday that iPhone and Apple Watch users in eight states will soon be able to keep a digital version of their driver's licenses and state identification documents on their devices.

Arizona and Georgia will be first, followed by Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma and Utah, Apple said in a news release.

"The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will enable select airport security checkpoints and lanes in participating airports as the first locations customers can use their driver’s license or state ID in Wallet," Apple said.

The tech giant said the process of adding a state ID will be similar to the process of adding a credit card to Apple Wallet, except that users "will also be prompted to complete a series of facial and head movements during the setup process."

Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, said the company hopes to include more states soon.

“We are excited that the TSA and so many states are already on board to help bring this to life for travelers across the country using only their iPhone and Apple Watch, and we are already in discussions with many more states as we’re working to offer this nationwide in the future," she said.

Apple said it and the issuing state will never be informed of where or when the digital IDs are produced and that the information is "only presented digitally through encrypted communication directly between the device and the identity reader, so users do not need to unlock, show, or hand over their device."

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said in a statement that the state sees Apple's embrace of digital IDs as another step in modernizing its operations.

“We’re pleased to be one of the first states working with Apple to deploy driver’s licenses and state identification cards in Apple Wallet, and we’re looking forward to taking the next steps to make sure this new feature benefits our residents," he said.