North Dakota is preparing to implement digital driver’s licenses for iPhone users, allowing residents to add their driver’s licenses and state IDs to the Apple Wallet app on both iPhone and Apple Watch devices. The initiative follows the Transportation Security Administration’s approval of Apple Wallet digital IDs for domestic air travel and builds on growing momentum for mobile identification across the United States.
“Within the next month,” mobile IDs will become available to residents, according to the North Dakota Department of Transportation (DOT), with the launch expected in early October 2025. To obtain a digital ID, residents will be able to add their driver’s licenses or state IDs to the Apple Wallet app through a simple process of opening the app, tapping the “+” button, and following provided instructions.
The implementation requires a $5 fee for obtaining a mobile driver’s license, as specified by the North Dakota DOT. The digital ID will be accepted at more than 260 U.S. airports where TSA is expanding digital ID acceptance, and can be used for age verification purposes. The DOT advises residents to continue carrying physical licenses as digital IDs are not yet universally accepted.
The digital credentials are stored securely on-device within the Apple Wallet app, following ISO/IEC standards for mobile driver’s licenses that ensure secure identity verification. The implementation follows Apple’s initial announcement of digital ID support in the Wallet app in 2022. Several states have already implemented similar systems, including Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, New Mexico, Iowa, California, Hawaii, and Ohio, as well as Puerto Rico. Additional states including Mississippi, Illinois, Connecticut, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Utah, and West Virginia are currently in various stages of implementing the technology.
North Dakota’s implementation matches broader national trends, as recent surveys indicate 65 percent of North Americans are ready to adopt mobile driver’s licenses. The program represents another step in the broader national transition toward digital identification systems, while maintaining traditional physical ID options for situations where digital credentials are not yet accepted.
Sources: MacRumors
