Google Wallet is creeping closer to replacing your physical wallet. After adding support for driver’s licenses in the state of Maryland last year, Google included transit passes, company IDs, and health insurance cards earlier this year. And now three more states are joining in.
Starting today, users in Arizona, Colorado, and Georgia can add their official state identification to Google Wallet as well. Those same four states are also available in Apple Wallet.
Also: Here’s how to add your driver’s license to the iPhone’s Wallet app
To get started, open Google Wallet and tap “Add to Wallet” in the bottom-right corner. Once that’s open, you’ll see a list of things you can add like payment cards, transit passes, loyalty cards, and gift cards. Choose ID card. After a brief notice that tells you where you can use the virtual version of your license, you’ll have four states to choose from.
Select your state and you’ll be asked to scan the front and back of your card. You’ll also be asked to take a short video that’s sent to the state issuing body to verify you’re a real person and that you’re the owner of that ID.
Where can you use your Google Wallet identification? Google notes that your digital ID is “a valid document just like your physical identification card.” But right now, usage is a little limited. You can use it to pass through certain TSA checkpoints (since this program is still so early in its rollout, it’s still strongly recommended to carry your physical ID with you too), but that’s it. Google does say that other uses are coming soon though, like the ability to rent a car with your digital ID.
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Of course, this does bring a few security concerns. But Google addresses those as soon as you add your ID to your Wallet. “Once approved,” a notice reads, “your encrypted digital ID will be saved on this device. You may view and manage it on this device, and you control when your ID is shared.” So unlike many things on our phones these days, there’s no cloud backup. Your license is stored locally on your device and that’s it.
While only four states have digital identification cards right now, nearly 30 more are in the process of making that happen. California does have a digital ID card, but it’s through a standalone app instead of Apple Wallet or Google Wallet.
