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1h ago

Illinois Launches Mobile Driver’s Licenses in Apple Wallet

Enrollment occurs in the Wallet app using biometric checks with state verification.

A sign at the San Diego International Airport notifies travelers TSA is now accepting DIGITAL ID, March 13, 2025.
Illinois’ new digital wallet drivers licenses and state identification cards for iPhone are displayed at a Secretary of State event on Nov. 18, 2025, at Moonlight Studios in Chicago’s West Loop. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
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An Illinois digital drivers license is a benefit to travelers.

Overview

  • Starting Wednesday at 7 a.m., Illinois residents can add a driver’s license or state ID to iPhone and Apple Watch, with support for Google and Samsung wallets expected next year.
  • Mobile IDs will be accepted at TSA checkpoints at more than 250 airports, including O’Hare, Midway and St. Louis Lambert, and at participating businesses and in apps.
  • Setup requires scanning the physical card, taking a selfie and completing facial‑movement prompts, after which the state verifies the submission before issuing the digital ID.
  • The mobile credential is optional and does not replace a physical ID, which remains required in certain law‑enforcement situations, and the law bars phone searches after presenting a mobile ID.
  • The Secretary of State is releasing a free Mobile ID Verifier app for businesses, and officials say Illinois is the largest state to widely offer Apple Wallet IDs.