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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Many Illinois residents may soon start carrying their driver’s license on their phone.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced Monday his office will work to get Illinois IDs in resident’s Apple Wallet. His goal is to launch the service by the end of the year.
“We’re excited to have kickstarted our work with Apple, a company that shares our commitment to data security, to provide IDs in Apple Wallet that will offer convenience and privacy for Illinoisans,” said Giannoulias, whose office pushed for the legislation enabling the development of mobile drivers licenses and state IDs in Illinois. “This is the first component of a multi-faceted approach to deliver a state-of-the-art mobile driver’s license and state ID program that leverages best-in-class technology for residents.”
Giannoulias said this technology will be easy to use, taking only a tap on their iPhone or Apple Watch once it is set up.
Additionally, the technology will only show necessary information; meaning an ID in the Apple Wallet will only show proof of age when it’s used for tasks like purchasing alcohol or renting a car and hide other personal information on the ID like an address.
The mobile driver’s licenses and state IDs are not mandatory to use. Instead, they will serve as a companion rather than a replacement to a physical card.
Right now, Giannoulias is planning robust testing to ensure a product that has security and privacy. The Secretary of State is also hoping to work with other tech companies to add Illinois IDs to more digital wallet software, like Google Wallet for Android users.
Illinois is the tenth state to implement state identification in Apple Wallet, after Arizona, Colorado, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, New Mexico, and Ohio. Puerto Rico has also adopted the technology.
Apple users who want to hear the latest updates and developments on the mobile driver’s license program can sign up on the Secretary of State’s website.