North Dakota became the latest state to let residents add a digital version of their driver’s license to their iPhone and Apple Watch. After recent additions, a total of 12 states or territories now support digital IDs.
Currently, digital IDs are most useful for travelers, as they’re widely accepted at Transportation Security Administration security checkpoints.
North Dakota driver’s license goes in iPhone’s Apple Wallet
iPhones can store credit cards, loyalty cards, tickets and travel passes, as well as car keys and house keys. But most drivers are still required to carry a piece of plastic to confirm that they have the right to be behind the wheel.
In hopes of dragging transportation departments across the United States into the 21st century, Apple launched its digital ID initiative back in 2021. But it’s up to states to adopt the system, and that moves slowly. Still, there’s been progress. The latest to get on board is the North Dakota Department of Transportation, which added the capability last week.
But there’s a quirk: North Dakota is the first state to charge a fee for a digital driver’s license. As noted on Apple’s website:
“The North Dakota Department of Transportation Driver License Division (DOT) requires residents to pay a fee of $5 to obtain a mobile driver’s license (see DOT for full details). If you have not paid this fee before, when adding your North Dakota ID to Wallet you will be directed to make this required payment to the DOT to finish adding your ID to Wallet.”
In other states that have adopted Apple’s system, the major advantage is speeding up the process of moving through TSA security checkpoints at airports. The IDs can be used at more than 250 airports across the country. Currently, no state lets a digital driver’s license completely replace a physical one when interacting with police.
Get your North Dakota mobile driver’s license today
North Dakota residents seeking to add their driver’s license or state-issued ID to Apple’s iPhone or Apple Watch should read the Cult of Mac guide on how to add your driver’s license to Apple Wallet.
Those living elsewhere in the United States might check to see if they can do the same. As noted, they’re available from a dozen states or territories after Montana joined Apple’s program in August. And we put together a map that shows the likely timeline for digital IDs arriving in other states.
The full list currently includes:
- Arizona
- California (pilot program)
- Colorado
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- lowa
- Maryland
- Montana
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Puerto Rico
