Get your digital Hawaii driver’s license or ID card.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Hawaii has just become the latest U.S. state to support the storage of digital driver’s licenses and ID cards in the Wallet app on the iPhone or Apple Watch.
This means that seven states now support Apple’s system, with several more having been added since the beginning of the summer.
Hawaiian driver’s license goes into the iPhone’s Apple Wallet
Replacing a physical wallet with a digital one is clearly on Apple’s list of long-term goals. iPhones can store credit cards, loyalty cards, tickets and transit passes. There are also car keys and house keys. And some lucky people can add their driver’s license.
Although Apple launched its digital ID initiative back in 2021, the rollout is progressing slowly. In the US, it depends on state legislatures and transportation authorities whether they approve and implement the system. Nevertheless, several states that support digital IDs have been added to the list in recent months. On Wednesday, Hawaii was added to the list.
There is no official announcement from the Aloha State yet. Users have only noticed that there is a new option in Apple Wallet (as noted by 9to5Mac). That said, details are few and far between. At this point, it’s not clear whether Hawaii will actually allow its citizens to apply for digital IDs or driver’s licenses.
In other areas, however, the main benefit is that it speeds up TSA security checkpoints at airports. Currently, no state allows a digital driver’s license to completely replace the physical driver’s license when communicating with police.
Today’s development came as no surprise – Hawaii lawmakers approved the change in 2022.
Few lucky ones
Ohio jumped on the digital bandwagon in July, while California began rolling out earlier this month. Apple’s system for digital driver’s licenses and state IDs has already been successfully rolled out in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia and Maryland.
Those in one of these states should consider the practical Cult of the Mac Learn how to add your driver’s license to Apple Wallet on your iPhone and Apple Watch.
