Oklahoma residents can finally leave their physical driver’s licenses at home — at least sometimes. The state is now rolling out support for adding driver’s licenses and state IDs to Apple Wallet on iPhone and Apple Watch.
Oklahoma becomes the 16th U.S. state or territory to support Apple’s digital IDs.
Apple (slowly) getting rid of old-fashioned driver’s licenses
We live in a digital world. You certainly don’t send physical letters, you can pull out your iPhone to make purchases and maybe even use your phone to unlock your home and start your car. But to identify yourself, you need a plastic card. Apple is doing what it can to update that process out of the 20th Century.
It announced driver’s licenses and state IDs for Wallet at WWDC in 2021, promising a more convenient way to carry identification on an iPhone or Apple Watch.
Progress since then has been slow but steady. That’s largely because Apple can’t simply turn the feature on nationwide. Driver’s licenses are issued by individual states, each of which has its own identification systems, laws and requirements.
There’s no better example than Oklahoma. It was one of the states Apple originally announced as a partner for digital IDs back in 2021. It took five years for that promise to become a reality.
Add your Oklahoma digital driver’s license to Apple Wallet
Adding the license works much like adding a credit card or other pass to Wallet.
Open the Wallet app on your iPhone, tap the plus button and select Driver’s License or ID Cards. Now choose Oklahoma (or your state) from the list of available options. You’ll then scan the front and back of your license and complete an identity-verification process.
Once Oklahoma approves the request, the digital license will appear in Wallet on your iPhone and Apple Watch.
Need more help? Read the Cult of Mac guide on how to add your driver’s license to Apple Wallet.
Temper your expectations
Just be aware that an Apple Wallet driver’s license isn’t a complete replacement for the plastic card.
Digital IDs can be used at participating businesses and in supported apps for things such as proving your age or identity. They’re also accepted at TSA checkpoints at more than 250 airports for domestic flights, although acceptance varies by location.
But you can’t assume every police officer, business or government agency will accept the electronic version. In particular, Apple Wallet IDs generally aren’t accepted during traffic stops, so Oklahoma drivers still need to carry their physical licenses.
That makes the feature more of a convenient companion to your driver’s license than a replacement for it — at least for now.
