- Kentucky has launched an app to store residents’ digital ID documents
- The state says Apple Wallet support will arrive in the summer
- You’ll still need to carry your physical ID cards, though
More and more people are accessing their payment cards and other services via their phones these days, and now the US state of Kentucky has launched a new app that stores a digital version of your identification.
What is a digital ID? Well, as demonstrated by the Kentucky app, it’s a digital representation of your identification documents, which can include your driver’s license, state ID card, and more. Instead of needing to rummage through a plethora of different physical cards, you just need to present your phone when asked for your ID.
You can download the Kentucky ID app on the iOS and Android app stores. The developer says the result is “intuitive, easy-to-use and highly convenient.” And if you’re worried about losing access to your ID if your phone is lost or stolen, the Kentucky app can lock your ID behind biometric verification. That includes Touch ID or Face ID on iOS, for example, or you can set a six-digit PIN if you prefer.
Kentucky isn’t the first place to roll out a digital ID made for phones, as a number of other US states have added a way for citizens to use their ID documents on their devices. That’s partly thanks to a feature called Digital ID that Apple introduced late last year in its Wallet app, and it’s designed to let you use your digital ID for various purposes at US-based airports. At the time, Apple said it was rolling out to over 250 airports across the US.
Aside from TSA checkpoints at US airports, digital IDs can also be accepted by businesses, venues and other public locations. That said, the developer of the Kentucky app advises users to continue carrying their physical ID cards, as “not all entities are able to verify a Mobile ID.” Don’t ditch your card just yet, then, as there will be times – such as when asked by law enforcement – when you’ll need to show it and your app ID will not be accepted.
While the standalone Kentucky app makes things a touch simpler than having to hunt for your physical cards, a better option would be to upload your Kentucky ID to your phone’s built-in card-management app, such as Apple’s Wallet app. That would preclude the need for any third-party app and let you store all your cards in one place.
Thankfully, that functionality is supposedly on the way. According to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, the state is “actively working with Apple, Google, and Samsung to make the Kentucky Mobile ID and Mobile Driver’s License available in their respective digital wallets.” This will supposedly arrive after the Kentucky Information Network for Driver Licensing – that is, Kentucky’s new driver licensing system – launches in summer 2026.
Kentucky isn’t the first state to move forward with a digital ID system, and it certainly won’t be the last. As more states add this functionality, and more locations accept digital IDs, the process of verifying your identity could become a whole lot more streamlined.
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alexblake.techradar@gmail.com (Alex Blake)
