The wallet on your iPhone can hold everything—credit and debit cards, transit cards, event tickets, keys—whatever you need, really. However, Chicago residents have been lamenting over the inability to add their state ID and driver’s license to the app. Fortunately, this is about to change.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently signed legislation that will bring a wave of relief to Illinois residents. The new system, part of Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’ office-wide modernization effort, will allow mobile driver’s licenses and state IDs in Illinois. Residents will have to wait four more months, as the legislation won’t take effect until Jan. 1, 2025.
With the introduction of mobile IDs and driver’s licenses, residents will have the option to conceal certain personal details, such as their address, thanks to a secure, contactless, encrypted data exchange between their device and the reader.
For those who frequently forget their wallets when traveling, it’s good to know that the TSA now accepts mobile identification at airports. Despite this change, officials still recommend that travelers carry physical ID cards as a backup, as a dead phone will be of little help.