Arkansas Snaps Apple’s Digital ID Dry Spell
Toggle Dark Mode
It’s been a while since we’ve heard any expansion news on Apple’s digital driver’s licenses, but it seems that Arkansas has just become the first state to sign on in 2026, bringing the new total to 14.
Arkansas was one of those states that launched on Google Wallet first, rolling out support last fall. However, unlike Utah, which went exclusively with Google (despite being one of the first eight states Apple announced in 2021), Arkansas promised Apple Wallet support would be coming in 2026.
Now, it’s fulfilling that pledge, with a formal announcement this week on its Department of Finance and Administration website:
Now you can add your driver’s license or state ID to Apple Wallet on iPhone and Apple Watch. So you can present it easily and securely in person, in app, or online, at select businesses and organizations. It’s easy, private, secure.
The language is the same boilerplate we’ve seen from most other state agencies, which always feels like it’s written more by Apple’s PR department than state communications officials, but that’s also not too surprising considering how tightly Apple controls its messaging and technology.
The last states to come on board with Apple Wallet prior to Arkansas were Illinois in November, West Virginia in October, North Dakota in September, and Montana in August. However, those four were the only states to join in 2025, ending an eight-month dry spell from a much busier year in 2024.
Some of the slowdown could be attributed to the Digital ID that arrived in November — a nationwide digital identity card that could be created from a user’s US passport and serve most of the same purposes as a state ID or driver’s license — at least as far as Apple Wallet is concerned.
After all, while digital driver’s licenses sound like a wonderful idea, they’re still far from universally accepted. Every single state that’s added support for Apple Wallet — including Arkansas — still emphasizes that users will need to keep their physical ID on them.
You’ll still need to carry a physical ID for use with law enforcement and venues where proof of age is required but mobile IDs are not yet accepted. In the future, you can look forward to more places accepting ID in Apple Wallet.
Despite the fact that these are digital driver’s licenses, they won’t be accepted by a cop who pulls you over on the side of the road. They’re still primarily used for proof of identity at select TSA checkpoints and businesses that are equipped to read them.
While states like Ohio have gone so far as to release their own age verification apps to be used by local businesses, Arkansas doesn’t appear to be following suit. Instead, the state’s FAQ directs companies to “a variety of apps and compatible readers” that can “securely and privately accept mobile driver’s licenses and state ID cards for in person identity verification.”
In that sense, Apple’s Digital ID, which can be created and used by any US passport holder in any state, works just as well as a state-level digital driver’s license. Still, the rollout in Arkansas means iPhone owners in that state who don’t have a passport can finally jump on board. It’s also great news for anyone holding back from upgrading to iOS 26; while California requires iOS 17.5 and Puerto Rico demands iOS 18.1, most state-level digital IDs only require iOS 16.5 or later.
