Arkansans can now add their driver’s license and state ID to Apple Wallet, the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration announced on Wednesday.
“This provides an important integration into your phones, so that your mobile ID will reside in the same place that you have your digital credit cards and your boarding passes,” said Jim Hudson, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. The department oversees the state’s Office of Motor Vehicle.
Additionally, starting this fall, mobile IDs in Apple Wallet can be used at University of Arkansas arenas and athletic stadiums, according to the department.
Wednesday’s announcement builds on the state’s mobile ID effort, which was launched last year.
The department in March 2025 announced that Arkansans could download driver’s licenses and state IDs to mobile devices using “Arkansas mobile ID,” a free app. Later, the department said the mobile IDs were approved for use at more than 250 airports in the country.
At the time of the March 2025 announcement, officials said it could take several years before law enforcement agencies across the state are able to routinely process mobile IDs.
Hudson said at a news conference Wednesday that Arkansans still need to carry their physical IDs. He also said law enforcement agencies would need to make capital investments for technology to be able to process mobile IDs, as well as changes in traffic stop training.
“That’s a little bit further down the road, but that is going to happen someday, just not right now,” Hudson said. “I do think that what we’re going to find is with the digital ID, particularly Apple Wallet, is an increasing integration of that digital ID with e-commerce.”
Hudson on Wednesday also urged Arkansans to make use of the department’s online tools, including scheduling appointments at Department of Motor Vehicle offices. That can be done at: dfa.arkansas.gov/office/mydmv/
He also said that the department has launched an initiative to do online registration for purchased vehicles. That’s not ready quite yet, Hudson said, though he said he hopes to make an announcement about it in the coming months.
Ella McCarthy
Ella McCarthy covers state politics and the state Supreme Court. Before joining the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, she covered Austin City Hall for the Austin American-Statesman, and before that, held a fellowship with ABC News in Washington, D.C., where she covered national politics. A graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism, her work has been recognized by the Hearst Foundation, the Missouri Press Association and LION Publishers in the LION local journalism awards. She contributed to the Statesman’s coverage of a two-city shooting rampage that won a national Edward R. Murrow Award for breaking news coverage.
