New Mexico joins similar states in supporting Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. New Mexico residents are still required by law to carry their physical IDs for law enforcement and age verification, but at businesses and TSA checkpoints that have adopted New Mexico’s, you’ll be able to tap your smartphone instead of pulling out a card.
Digital licenses can be added to Apple and Google apps now by scanning the front and back of your mobile ID, capturing a scan of your face and submitting your digital application for verification. Once added, digital IDs can be swiped and used in the same way you would pay with a digital payment card. Google has published a video on how to add your card to Google Wallet and Apple has information on how to add IDs to Apple Wallet, if you’re looking for tips.
The New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division began “providing electronic identification to customers at no additional cost” in January 2024. The issuance of digital IDs continues to be a complex process, as 12 states currently offer some form of digital identification, but only Arizona. , California, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, and New Mexico currently offer IDs for both Google and Apple apps. To make things more confusing, some states like Ohio, Hawaii, and Iowa offer Apple Wallet IDs but not the Google app.
Switching to a digital-only wallet is not without potential risks, either. The American Civil Liberties Union ‘ is rapidly adopting digital driver’s licenses without imposing additional protections on cardholders. That includes things like preventing ID issuers and verifiers from tracking the use of digital cards and preserving the right not to use a digital card for anyone who doesn’t own or can afford a smartphone. Apple and Google solutions offer privacy protection in terms of encrypting information and keeping your device locked even after presenting your ID, but they do not fully cover how state or federal governments can access these new digital systems.
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