Maryland Now Lets You Put Your Driver’s License on your iPhone

Have you been looking for a way to finally get rid of carrying a wallet? Well, there's good news—the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) now allows for a secure ​version of your physical driver's license or ID card that can be stored on your Apple cell phone or Apple Watch. Maryland is only the second state (after Arizona) to support the digital ID feature.

Both iPhone and Android users can already store things like credit cards, plane tickets, hotel keys, insurance cards, store loyalty cards, car and house keys, concert ticket, vaccination records and event tickets in digital wallets.

The digital ID is a voluntary and additional option on top of your current physical license or ID. For now, it'll mostly be used at TSA Pre-Check security lines at local airports—Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).

How to use it

To display your ID in Apple Wallet, just “tap your iPhone or Apple Watch at the TSA's Credential Authentication Technology reader at the travel document checking podium,” the TSA said in a press release. “The TSA officer will then verify the passenger's identity and flight status for a secure, fast, convenient, and touchless identity verification experience.”

The TSA says identification data is encrypted and transmitted digitally, “eliminating the need for passengers to show or hand over their device to a TSA officer.”

Getting up to speed

According to MDOT MVA Administrator Chrissy Nizer, the state expects the number of locations accepting this mobile ID to grow over time; currently, the select TSA checkpoints are the only places it can be used. And because the new technology will take a while to catch on, you'll still need to carry a physical ID for a bit longer.

For now, law enforcement will not accept digital IDs, but could eventually. Restaurants, bars and retailers haven't indicated whether they're going to adapt in accepting this new form of identification to purchase alcohol or tobacco.

More Good News for Maryland Residents

Back to school shopping? Mark your calendar as Shop Maryland Tax-Free Week for 2022 is Sunday, August 14 – Saturday, August 20.

During the week, qualifying apparel and footwear $100 or less, per item, are exempt from Maryland sales tax. The first $40 of a backpack or book bag purchase is also tax-free. Accessory items, except for backpacks, are not included.

BONUS: Many stores will be having special back to school sales on eligible items in conjunction with the sales tax holiday.

Don't live in Maryland? Look up special tax-free days for your state here.

^{Resources: DCist, 9to5 Mac, Apple, Inc., TechCrunch, DealNews}