Can you put a digital version of a SC driver’s license on your iPhone like car insurance cards?
Several states in recent months have either begun offering digital driver’s licenses or confirmed they plan to provide them through a new service on Apple iPhones.
But what about South Carolina?
So far, there has been no formal announcement from Apple or state officials that South Carolina will join the program. However, the state is looking into the service, said Maranda Williams, public director for the SC Department of Motor Vehicles.
“The state is actually exploring this now,” Williams wrote in a Monday email to The State. “There is a proviso that created a study committee on the idea and they are still undergoing research.”
There is no timetable yet on when that research will be completed. Still, the DMV has been charged with developing recommendations for the adoption of mobile identities by the end of the fiscal year.
Apple earlier this year launched the feature that lets residents of participating states put a digital version of their driver’s license or state ID in the Wallet app of their iPhones and Apple Watches. The point of the service is to offer a contactless and convenient way to show proof of identity or age.
According to Apple, so far Arizona, Maryland and most recently Colorado support the digital identification feature. Another nine states have indicated that they are committed to supporting the feature, including Utah, Oklahoma, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio. Puerto Rico is also committed to supporting the feature, Apple states.
“The addition of driver’s licenses and state IDs to Apple Wallet is an important step in our vision of replacing the physical wallet with a secure and easy-to-use mobile wallet,” Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, said in a press release about the feature last year. “We are excited that the TSA and so many states are already on board to help bring this to life for travelers across the country using only their iPhone and Apple Watch, and we are already in discussions with many more states as we’re working to offer this nationwide in the future.”
