Ohio Adds Driver's Licenses to Apple and Google Wallet, 12th State on Google

Q: If your digital Ohio ID is officially verified, why does Google still demand you carry the physical card?

Because the digital Ohio ID is still a companion credential, not a universal legal substitute for the plastic card. Google and the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles both say acceptance is limited. The mobile ID works only with readers designed to verify and decrypt it, and today that means select TSA checkpoints, some businesses and venues, many state buildings, and Ohio casinos. Outside those settings, many police officers, stores, banks, rental counters, and other ID-checking locations may still require the physical card or may not have compatible technology. There is also a legal and policy gap. Verification by the Ohio BMV confirms the digital credential is authentic, but that does not automatically change every law or institution’s rules on what counts as an acceptable ID. Ohio’s own guidance in other contexts shows this clearly: for example, voters must still present a physical ID at the polls, not a digital one. Practical issues also matter. The ID is stored on one device, not in the cloud, so if your phone is lost, dead, damaged, offline, or the scanner fails, you still need a backup. Carrying the physical card ensures you can prove identity or driving privileges even when the phone-based system is unavailable. So the reason is not that the digital ID is unverified. It is verified, but its acceptance is still partial, technology-dependent, and not yet broad enough to replace the physical credential everywhere.

3 articles · Updated · WTAP · Aug 31

Ohio residents can now load a state-issued driver's license or ID into Apple Wallet or Google Wallet for digital age and identity checks.
The mobile credential is only a companion to the physical card, which residents still must carry, and it can be used at select businesses, many state buildings, all TSA checkpoints nationwide and Ohio casinos.
Google Wallet users add the ID through the app and verify it with a personal Gmail-linked account, while Apple Wallet users can set it up on an iPhone or Apple Watch.
Ohio allows only 1 Mobile ID at a time, requiring users to remove an existing credential from an old device before activating a new one.
Google's support for Ohio makes it the 12th state or territory available in Google Wallet, extending a rollout Apple began in Ohio in 2024.