North Carolina confirms digital ID rollout; Apple expands wallet support to four jurisdictions
North Carolina’s Division of Motor Vehicles has confirmed plans to launch a mobile ID program in December, with support for Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, and Samsung Wallet expected early next year. This follows reports that Apple is expanding digital ID support to Oklahoma, Utah, and Virginia, bringing the total number of supported jurisdictions to 18, including Puerto Rico.
North Carolina’s Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has confirmed plans to launch a mobile ID program in December, with support for Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, and Samsung Wallet expected early next year. This follows reports that Apple is expanding digital ID support to Oklahoma, Utah, and Virginia, bringing the total number of supported jurisdictions to 18, including Puerto Rico.
The North Carolina DMV stated that digital IDs will initially be available via the state’s NC Wallet app before expanding to third-party digital wallets. The agency expects TSA checkpoints at over 250 US airports, including Charlotte Douglas and Raleigh-Durham International Airports, to accept the mobile IDs.
Law enforcement officers in North Carolina will treat mobile IDs as valid identification, though they may request drivers to read out licence details if they lack compatible readers. The North Carolina DMV advises citizens to continue carrying physical credentials as a backup during the transition period for retailers and businesses.
MacRumors identified code suggesting support for digital IDs in Oklahoma, Utah, and Virginia, but no specific launch dates have been confirmed for these jurisdictions. Apple Wallet currently supports digital IDs in 14 states and Puerto Rico: Arizona, Maryland, Colorado, Georgia, Ohio, Hawaii, California, Iowa, New Mexico, Montana, North Dakota, West Virginia, Illinois, and Arkansas.
Arizona was the first state to sign up for the Apple Wallet ID feature. The expansion to North Carolina, Oklahoma, Utah, and Virginia would bring the total number of supported jurisdictions to 18.
The specific timeline for the rollout of Apple Wallet ID support in Oklahoma, Utah, and Virginia remains unclear. It is uncertain when retailers, restaurants, and other businesses will fully transition to accepting mobile IDs.
Claims regarding the expansion to Oklahoma, Utah, and Virginia are based on code analysis by MacRumors and should be phrased cautiously as 'reportedly' or 'suggesting', as official confirmation is pending. The statement that law enforcement will treat mobile IDs as valid identification is specific to North Carolina; generalisations to other states should be avoided.
