Digital driver's license rollout in US hits a hurdle as Florida suspends support

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Florida pulls out the stop sign for a digital license rollout on iPhones.

Apple Wallet logo on an iPhone closeup
(Image credit: Getty Images / stockcam)

The state of Florida has suspended support for digital driver licenses, meaning that the ability to view them in iOS is now unavailable.

According to a statement sent to 9to5Mac, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has halted the rollout due to the need to find a new vendor to host these digital driver licenses. “At this time, FLHSMV is removing the current Florida Smart-ID application from app stores. If you have downloaded the app, please delete it from your device, as it will no longer be functional. Please note that your data remains secure with the Department. We expect the new app to be developed by early 2025 and will notify you by email at that time.“

The ability to use digital driver licenses was rolled out in March 2022, with Arizona being the first state to embrace this feature. Available in the Wallet app on iOS, you can display your driver's license at any time as a form of ID. At the time of writing, Colorado, Hawaii, Mississippi, Ohio, and the territory of Puerto Rico have also adopted digital driver licenses. These states have not commented on whether they’ll be following Florida’s approach.

How to add a Digital ID to Apple Wallet

If you live in one of the eligible states above, adding your digital ID such as your driving license, is an easy affair.

First, you must own an iPhone 8 or above to do this. If you do, follow these steps:

  • Open the Wallet app on your iPhone
  • Tap the Add button on the top right
  • Tap Driver's License / State ID then choose your state
  • Pick if you want to add your license or ID to your iPhone or to your paired Apple Watch as well
  • Follow the prompts to scan the front and back of your license or ID
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Daryl Baxter
Daryl Baxter
Features Editor

Daryl is iMore's Features Editor, overseeing long-form and in-depth articles and op-eds. Daryl loves using his experience as both a journalist and Apple fan to tell stories about Apple's products and its community, from the apps we use every day to the products that have been long forgotten in the Cupertino archives.

Previously Software & Downloads Writer at TechRadar, and Deputy Editor at StealthOptional, he's also written a book, 'The Making of Tomb Raider', which tells the story of the beginnings of Lara Croft and the series' early development. His second book, '50 Years of Boss Fights', came out in June 2024, and has a monthly newsletter called 'Springboard'. He's also written for many other publications including WIRED, MacFormat, Bloody Disgusting, VGC, GamesRadar, Nintendo Life, VRV Blog, The Loop Magazine, SUPER JUMP, Gizmodo, Film Stories, TopTenReviews, Miketendo64, and Daily Star.

3 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Just_Me_D
    This is old news. My wife and I both have had the Florida Smart ID on our iPhones since they were in beta. I was telling a friend about it a week ago and that’s when I discovered it was no longer being supported and had been removed from both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

    Within the hour, I received an official email from the DMV stating the obvious and that they were looking for a new vendor.
    Reply
  • sechev00
    I’m confused. Article from here and 9to5Mac make it seem like Florida was previously available to select to add your DL within the Wallet app. That wasn’t the case. I recall Florida being one of the states expecting to rollout the Wallet feature but that never came to fruition yet.

    For a while, FL residents have been able to use the Smart ID app in the App Store to store the DL digitally via that app. So this just means that they’ve dumped that app for now and will be searching for a new vendor. Hopefully they plan to still bring support within the Wallet app in the future.
    Reply
  • Just_Me_D
    sechev00 said:
    I’m confused. Article from here and 9to5Mac make it seem like Florida was previously available to select to add your DL within the Wallet app. That wasn’t the case. I recall Florida being one of the states expecting to rollout the Wallet feature but that never came to fruition yet.

    For a while, FL residents have been able to use the Smart ID app in the App Store to store the DL digitally via that app. So this just means that they’ve dumped that app for now and will be searching for a new vendor. Hopefully they plan to still bring support within the Wallet app in the future.
    Florida was one of the original states that indicated a willingness to participate in bringing Florida IDs to Apple Wallet, but it never took off. They ended up going a different route and created the Florida SmartID which was basically app that allowed for businesses and law enforcement to scan a QR code to determine whether or not you were of legal drinking age, etcetera without you having to display the entire contents of your ID/DL.

    You also had the option to display the full contents of the ID/DL within the app. It was okay, but if you were to restore your phone you would have to login to the DMV site, select the SmartID option and then have a new code emailed to you so your information could reappear in the app.

    Having it appear in the Wallet app would have been more efficient and simple in my opinion.
    Reply