A digital wallet is not merely a storehouse of payment methods. The new Google Wallet State IDs on Android are turning more and more into a secure repository. They aim to host all kinds of digital credentials, state-issued identification included.
There is a growing need to store and use digital IDs. The May 7, 2025 deadline comes for REAL ID enforcement. It may prove more relevant for domestic travel or other needs requiring identity verification.
About late April 2025, Google Wallet would support the inclusion of state IDs into its system as follows- Driver's licenses. It states identification cards from these U.S. states would now be added to Google Wallet:
Arizona
California
Colorado
Georgia
Maryland
New Mexico
Google is always going to work with availability in other states and territories regarding this area. The company has, in fact, already announced that states will be residing soon.
To access the Google Wallet app on your compatible Android device, here are the things that you need to do.
Press "Add to the wallet".
Select "ID" followed by selecting either "Driver's license or state ID".
Next, select your state from the available states listed.
Scanning both sides of the physical ID Taking a video of one's self as part of identity verification.
When your ID has been verified and approved by your state for the application, it will be found in your Google Wallet with your various payments and other passes.
Digi-state IDs in Google Wallet are currently talking about domestic travel - TSA checkpoints. Discover those businesses now implementing digital IDs for age verification when selling age-restricted items.
Google is considering extending the use of digital IDs in Google Wallet for an even wider number of purposes, such as:
Recovering online accounts (e.g., Amazon). Accessing online health treatments (e.g., CVS and Epic's MyChart). Verifying profiles on platforms (e.g., Uber).
Currently, this feature is restricted to selected states, but more are expected to be featured soon. For residents, this information should be worth noting. Alongside the fact that this feature is at present targeting the U.S. market.
Google Wallet has high encryption and person-specific authentication security features to guard digital IDs. Your digital ID can be erased remotely if your phone is lost or stolen.
The Google Wallet integration of state IDs on Android is exciting essentially digitizing. It modernizes the process through which identification will be proved in the future.
More states accept digital IDs for different use cases. Hence, residents allowed by states like traveling to the U.S. can expect an easier way, possibly safer, to manage their identification in the future.
It is very much the case that the physical ID is important. For the time being, Google Wallet is going to indicate a clear direction of travel toward the most significant change in how we might prove our identity going forward.
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