Google Wallet now stores California ID cards and driver’s licenses
Google has been continuously improving its Wallet app over the past few years. You can use it not only for payments, but also for airplane boarding passes, loyalty cards, public transport cards and much more. In addition, four American states – Arizona, Colorado, Georgia and Maryland – already allow the storage of ID cards and driver’s licenses. Now a fifth state is joining the fold – California is now also on board.
To store California ID cards and driver’s licenses, all you need is the latest version of Google Wallet. However, this is still a pilot program, and the government is currently limiting the registration limit to 1.5 million participants.
The requirements are not very high. All you need is a smartphone with Android 8.0 or higher and permissions for Bluetooth and nearby devices. Then, the Wallet app can share your ID with counterparts. You can also choose which information from your documents you want to share, so data protection is also taken care of.
Another important fact to note is that government-issued cards are not synced with your Google account. They stay on the phone, so they need to be added to Google Wallet again if you switch devices. The verification process requires a short selfie video that is submitted to the DMV, and you will then receive your confirmation via email.
