States across the US are slowly rolling out support for adding your driver’s license or ID to the Google Wallet app on Android.
Table of contents
- How to add your state ID on Android
- What Google Wallet state IDs are supported
- Where state IDs are coming next
- Where you can use state IDs
- Using passport as REAL ID
How to add your state ID on Android
- Open the Google Wallet app on Android 9+
- Tap the “Add to Wallet” button in the bottom-right corner
- Choose “ID” and then “Driver’s license or state ID”
- Select your state and follow the instructions
The process involves taking a picture of the front and back of your physical card, as well as a short video of yourself for verification: a “photo from this video will be submitted to your ID issuer.”
Once approved, the ID will appear below the carousel of payment methods alongside other passes. The order can be rearranged, while you can remotely remove the ID online if your phone is missing: myaccount.google.com > Personal Info > Manage IDs.
What Google Wallet state IDs are supported
- Arizona (Launched October 2023)
- California (August 2024)
- Colorado (October 2023)
- Georgia (October 2023)
- Maryland (December 2022)
- New Mexico (December 2024)
Where state IDs are coming next
Google previously said to expect support in the following places:
- Arkansas (Announced April 2025)
- Iowa (September 2024)
- Montana (April 2025)
- Ohio (September 2024)
- Puerto Rico (April 2025)
- West Virginia (April 2025)
Where you can use state IDs
The primary place you can use this digital ID is at TSA checkpoints in some US airports. There are two ways to do so, starting with tapping your phone at the NFC terminal. You then review the information that will be shared with the TSA and authenticate with device unlock. There’s also a QR code method that requires opening the ID in Google Wallet.
Officially, you still have to carry the physical ID card at all times.
Some apps, like from car rental services, are beginning to accept digital IDs for identity and age verification. You again have to review and authenticate a system-level prompt before sharing that information.
Looking ahead, the IDs can be used at DMVs in Arizona, Georgia, Maryland, and New Mexico as part of “improved and streamlined customer experiences.”
Google is also working on letting you use digital IDs to “recover Amazon accounts, access online health services with CVS and MyChart by Epic, verify profiles on platforms like Uber and more.”
Using passport as REAL ID
Google in April pointed out how you can “use your ID pass created from a U.S. passport with TSA security for domestic travel at supported airports, even if you do not have a REAL ID driver’s license or state-issued ID.” This comes ahead of the May 7, 2025 deadline.
To do so, open Google Wallet > Add to Wallet > ID pass. This three-step process involves taking a picture of your passport’s info page, and then scanning the security chip found inside the back cover of your passport. You also have to record a video of your face that Google will review “to make sure you’re a real person, and compare the video to your passport photo to make sure you’re the owner of the passport.”
The NFC and QR code instructions for using this digital passport ID are unchanged from above. You also have to keep the physical version on you when traveling. As a reminder, this won’t work internationally.
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