Apple Wallet is about to become much more useful for people who live in a certain Midwest state. Residents of this state can now add a virtual copy of their driver’s license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app.
As of Wednesday, July 31, Ohio residents can now use virtual IDs in Apple Wallet. This makes Ohio the fifth state to support Apple Wallet’s virtual IDs, following inthe footsteps of Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, and Maryland.
The process for adding your Ohio state ID to Apple Wallet is very simple. Open the Apple Wallet app on your iPhone and select the Plus icon (+) in the upper-right corner. On the new page that appears, select Driver’s License or State ID. Next, select Ohio, then Add to iPhone and Apple Watch or Add to iPhone Only, follow the instructions on your screen, and you’re good to go.
Once your ID is added to Apple Wallet, what can you do with it? In Apple’s own words, “With your ID in Wallet, there’s no need to reach for your physical ID. Simply add it to the Wallet app and use it to show proof of age or identity at select businesses and venues. Or, travel with it at select [Transportation Security Administration] checkpoints. Presenting your ID just got much easier.”
Ohio’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles website has more information about how all of this works. The main thing to note, however, is that this doesn’t mean Ohio residents can drive without their physical ID. Per the state’s website, “Ohio Mobile ID does not replace your physical Ohio driver’s license or identification card and you must continue to carry your physical card.”
As 9to5Mac points out, we’re still waiting on a handful of other U.S. states that have previously said they’d support Apple Wallet IDs. They include:
- Connecticut
- Hawaii
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Mississippi
- Oklahoma
- Utah
As a Michigan resident who has a natural hatred of all things Ohio (it’s nothing personal), it is a bit frustrating that Ohioans are getting virtual IDs while Michiganders like myself still have no ETA on if/when we’ll get a taste of it. Regardless, it is exciting to see Apple Wallet IDs continue to expand to more people — even if it’s been at a snail’s pace rollout since the feature was first announced at WWDC 2021.
