DMV Commissioner Jack and Secretary Donohue at the Apple Wallet launch. Photo: Virginia DMV
Aug. 26, 2026
Virginians can now add their state-issued driver’s license or identification card to Apple Wallet, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles announced Wednesday, letting residents verify their identity with an iPhone or Apple Watch instead of pulling out a physical card.
Virginia is the 15th state to launch the feature, joining Maryland and a dozen others. The DMV marked the rollout with an event at its Richmond headquarters.
The digital ID works without ever handing over the phone. Users hold the device near a reader, the screen shows what information is being requested, and the data is released only after the user approves it with Face ID or Touch ID.
Where it works locally
For Prince William County residents, the most immediate use is at the airport. Digital IDs are accepted at more than 250 Transportation Security Administration checkpoints nationwide, including Washington Dulles International Airport and Reagan Washington National Airport, along with Richmond International and Norfolk International.
Closer to home, the ID is accepted at all Virginia DMV locations — including the Woodbridge Customer Service Center on Caton Hill Road and the Manassas center on Bulloch Drive — at pilot Virginia ABC stores, and with Virginia State Police. The DMV also lists hundreds of participating businesses and entertainment venues statewide, among them Apple Federal Credit Union branches in Northern Virginia.
The DMV was clear about one limit: Virginians still need to carry the physical card as a backup, especially when driving. The announcement did not list any military installations among the places the digital ID is accepted.
How to add it
Open the Wallet app, tap the plus button at the top of the screen, select “Driver’s License and ID Cards,” and follow the on-screen setup and verification steps.
What the DMV and Apple can see
The digital ID supports the ISO 18013-5 mobile driver’s license standard, which sets industry rules for protecting privacy when an ID is presented through a phone. According to the DMV, the agency receives only the information needed to approve or deny the initial request. After that, the ID is encrypted on the device, and neither Apple nor the DMV can see when or where it is presented — that history stays on the phone.
The system also allows for partial disclosure. Buying something age-restricted, for example, shares a photo and confirmation that the holder is over 21, without releasing a name, address or date of birth.
Virginia Secretary of Transportation Nick Donohue called the rollout “a major moment of innovation for the Commonwealth,” and said residents had been asking for the option. DMV Commissioner Saundra M. Jack said the agency is trying to make identification easier to carry and use: “So much of our everyday life is on our phone and now so is your Virginia ID in Apple Wallet.”
More information is available at learn.wallet.apple/id or on the Virginia DMV website.