Illinois residents can now carry their driver's licenses and state identification cards on their phones. Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced the change on Tuesday, saying the digital option arrives in Apple Wallet on Wednesday.
Giannoulias said the program will expand to Google and Samsung wallets soon. He called the move "a gamechanger." Digital IDs can be used in settings such as entering a bar or passing through an airport checkpoint.
"Your ID now lives securely in the same place that you already tap to pay for groceries, present a boarding pass for a flight or enter a concert," Giannoulias said. He added that the IDs are protected by the same privacy and encryption technology people already trust on their devices.
The rollout follows legislation that state lawmakers passed and Gov. JB Pritzker signed about a year and a half ago, authorizing the Secretary of State's office to move ahead with the technology. In January, Giannoulias announced that his office had started working with Apple, with the goal of having the feature ready by the end of this year.
Illinois joins about a dozen states that offer licenses and IDs in digital wallets, including Maryland, Missouri and Iowa.
Under the law, digital cards are "in addition to, and not instead of" a physical ID. Public agencies and private businesses may accept electronic IDs in place of physical ones, but they are not required to do so. Residents must still carry their physical license or ID even if they choose the digital version.
To set up a digital ID, users scan their physical license or ID and take a selfie, which is sent to the state for verification. They are also asked to complete a series of facial and head movements. Facial recognition or touch ID authentication is required before any information is shared.
The Secretary of State's office is also launching a free verifier app for businesses that need to confirm proof of age for restricted purchases such as alcohol. Rather than showing an entire ID, the app displays only relevant details, such as age, and hides information deemed immaterial. Lucca Serra, director of marketing at Soldier Field, said the technology offers "a smarter, faster way to verify age at concessions," helping reduce lines so fans can focus on the show.
Showing a digital license to a law enforcement officer does not give the officer consent to search the device. Giannoulias said the mobile ID will be accepted at TSA checkpoints at Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports, Lambert Airport in St. Louis and more than 250 airports nationwide. Residents can find a step-by-step guide at ilsos.gov/mobile.
