Oklahoma Finally Brings Digital IDs to Apple Wallet After a Five-Year Wait
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Although Virginia beat out Oklahoma last week to become the 15th state to introduce digital driver’s licenses in Apple Wallet, it seems the Sooner State wasn’t as far behind as we’d thought.
As of this week, folks in Oklahoma can now add their driver’s licenses to Apple Wallet, and it works pretty much like it does in every other state that’s embraced the technology.
Oklahoma was one of the first eight states to sign on when Apple announced digital IDs in 2021, so it’s almost poetic timing that Apple and Oklahoma have begun rolling out digital driver’s licenses nearly five years to the day after Apple’s original announcement.
Sadly, it’s not even near the bottom of the list of stragglers. Of those first eight states, Oklahoma is only the fifth to get on board. Arizona and Maryland were the eager early adopters in 2022, while Georgia joined in mid-2023 and Iowa trailed into late 2024. Connecticut, Kentucky, and Utah remain MIA.
The first hints that Oklahoma was about to get on board came earlier this year, when state legislators passed House Bill 3015 to allow Service Oklahoma to partner with businesses for mobile or digital versions of state identification cards, driver’s licenses, or permits.
That bill opened the door for digital driver’s licenses to launch, and state authorities quickly began working with Apple to lay the groundwork. In July, digital assets for an Oklahoma ID were found in Apple Wallet, suggesting an imminent rollout.
Despite the fact that HB3015 isn’t scheduled to come into effect until November 1, the Oklahoma Digital ID initiative is now up and running to allow residents to add their driver’s licenses and state IDs to Apple Wallet.
As usual, there aren’t too many surprises as to how this will work. Oklahoma state representatives previously said that the goal was just to bring Oklahoma in line with the other states that have already adopted the technology. State House Representative Dell Kerbs, who authored HB3015, hinted that law enforcement could also choose to accept it.
The bill allows for that possibility by stating that the electronic credential is valid in all places where a physical driver’s license is accepted and includes an amendment to the state traffic code definition of a “driver license” to formally include the approved digital version. However, just because law enforcement can accept an Oklahoma Digital ID, nothing in the bill requires them to do so.
The catch is that presenting a digital driver’s license in Apple Wallet isn’t a matter of simply showing your iPhone screen to a cop or (worse yet) handing it over for them to physically examine. The image on the screen actually has nothing useful for law enforcement or anyone else to look at. The identification is entirely digital, and therefore needs to be read with a proper scanner.
That means law enforcement agencies would need to equip cops with the necessary hardware to read and validate digital identification cards from Apple Wallet. That’s a tall order for agencies who are often already cash-strapped as it is.
Unsurprisingly, this leaves the guidance in Oklahoma’s Digital ID FAQ mirroring every other state where digital driver’s licenses have rolled out, making it clear that “customers should still carry their physical Driver License or State ID.”
As things stand right now, Oklahoma merely says that digital IDs “can be used at certain venues around the state, including sports venues, airports, restaurants and other locations.” This naturally includes the TSA, which was the original partner for the new initiative, allowing folks to present digital driver’s licenses at airport security checkpoints, but many businesses have also joined on since Apple added the ability to verify digital IDs from an iPhone in iOS 17.
To this end, Oklahoma has joined other states in offering a free Oklahoma Reader app that businesses can install on an iPhone or Android device to read digital IDs. It’s also publishing a map of locations that accept digital IDs that businesses can submit their names to once they have everything set up.
As with similar apps in other states, the Oklahoma Reader app is designed expressly for age verification at this point, allowing residents to present proof of age without the need to disclose all the other personal information that’s typically found on a physical driver’s license.
“We are working with Service Oklahoma to help alcoholic beverage establishments and tobacco and nicotine retailers prepare to accept Oklahoma ID in Apple Wallet beginning Sept. 14,” said Lori Carter, Assistant Director of the Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement (ABLE) Commission in a press release. “Secure electronic verification gives businesses another reliable way to confirm a customer’s age and help prevent underage sales.”
In fact, the Oklahoma Reader app won’t even divulge the person’s actual age — only whether they land above the usual thresholds of 18 or 21. The actual date of birth is not displayed, only the photo so the person’s identity can be visually verified, and a color-coded response to show whether they meet the criteria.
Oklahoma has also designed the app so it doesn’t store any user information, blocks attempts to take screenshots, and clears the results in 15 seconds. Businesses also never handle the customer’s phone — the customer simply taps the same way they would when making an Apple Pay payment, and then uses Face ID to confirm they want to share the information being requested — proof of age and photo in this case.
Which US States Now Support Digital ID in Apple Wallet?
Oklahoma becomes the sixteenth state to support digital driver’s licenses, joining Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia, plus Puerto Rico. Japan’s My Number Card is also supported — the only international partner so far.
The feature is expected to go live next in North Carolina and Utah, although possibly not until early next year. Connecticut and Kentucky remain a question mark, as we’ve heard very little from them beyond Apple’s initial 2021 announcement.
