Utah, Kentucky, and North Carolina Will Add Apple Wallet IDs

The expansion will bring digital driver's license support to three additional states by early 2027.

Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in Cybersecurity

Isometric editorial illustration of structured server cabinets in a grid, representing the secure infrastructure of digital ID systems. — Utah, Kentucky, and North Carolina will implement digital driver's license support via Apple Wallet by 2027, expanding the existing state ID program. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Would you trust a digital driver's license in your Apple Wallet over a physical card?

Apple is set to expand its digital identity program, with Utah, Kentucky, and North Carolina preparing to integrate state-issued driver's licenses into the Apple Wallet app. This announcement marks a continued growth of the feature, which first launched in 2021 and currently supports 16 states and Puerto Rico.

Why it matters

The integration of state-issued credentials into mobile operating systems reflects a broader shift toward digitizing physical identity documents. This expansion follows the recent deployment of similar systems in states like Virginia and Oklahoma, which went live in August 2026.

The program currently supports 16 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, up from zero at the project's inception in 2021. Expansion is contingent on states successfully integrating their digital driver's license infrastructure with the Apple Wallet backend.

The players

Apple

A global hardware and software company that develops the iOS ecosystem, including the Wallet app's secure credential storage.

The details

States manage the issuance of digital credentials by integrating their specific databases with Apple's secure infrastructure. When a user adds an ID, the system uses encryption to verify the identity with the state authority before provisioning a secure token within the mobile device's secure enclave — a hardware-based security component that isolates sensitive data from the rest of the operating system.

2021: Apple first added support for digital IDs.
Summer 2026: Kentucky upgraded its digital ID system.
August 2026: Virginia and Oklahoma launched Apple Wallet support.
Early 2027: North Carolina licenses will be supported in Wallet.

The Tech Race

This development follows the trajectory established by the Apple Wallet digital identity integration program. It represents a steady increase in state adoption, tracking against the platform's long-term goal of replacing physical credentials with mobile alternatives.

Residents in these states will eventually be able to present their ID on a mobile device at select checkpoints. Availability depends on the state's readiness and final system integration timelines.

The takeaway

The integration of state-issued IDs into mobile devices continues to scale across the U.S. as technical backends are finalized. Readers should watch for specific launch announcements from the transportation departments of Utah and Kentucky in the coming months.