Your Kentucky ID is moving to your iPhone, and a big upgrade is already coming

Kentucky is now launching a new Kentucky ID app for iPhone, which allows you to have a digital version of your ID. And a big upgrade for it is already in the works. 

Kentucky launches Kentucky mobile ID app for iPhone 

The app is now available on the App Store. Kentucky residents will have to finish a verification process in order to access their digital ID. This process includes scanning your physical license and taking a selfie. After the process is completed, you can use that ID exclusively at TSA checkpoints in more than 250 airports. 

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said that the Mobile ID app offers residents of Kentucky more options for air travel and protects them from identity theft. 



This digital ID doesn't replace your physical license, though. You should still carry it with you at all times. For now, if you get pulled over or interact with law enforcement, you'll still have to present your physical license and not the app. 


Kentucky is actively working with Apple on Apple Wallet support, and the feature is reportedly going to launch later this year. There's also ongoing work with Google and Samsung to make the Kentucky Mobile ID and Mobile Driver's License available in their digital wallets as well. 

There will be a new Kentucky driver licensing system that launches in Summer 2026 called KINDL (Kentucky Information Network for Driver Licensing). The support for Apple Wallet is expected to come with this new system. 

Digital IDs are getting more and more popular 

Digital IDs aren't just a Kentucky thing. The idea of storing your driver's license or state ID on your phone is starting to take off across the U.S. and beyond. Apple's Wallet app already lets people in a number of states add their driver’s license or state ID to their iPhone or Apple Watch, and those digital IDs are accepted at more than 250 TSA checkpoints for domestic travel in the U.S. right now. 

Apple has also introduced a standalone Digital ID feature that lets users upload their U.S. passport information into Wallet, which can be presented at airports instead of a physical passport (though not for international travel). 

Android users aren't left out, either. Google Wallet supports digital IDs and driver’s licenses too. You can add them securely and present them at TSA checkpoints where supported, with the data encrypted on your device and shared only when you choose. 

Samsung Wallet has its own version of this feature as well: in some states, people can add a mobile driver's license or state ID directly to their Samsung phone or watch and use it at participating airport security checkpoints. 

States like Georgia have expanded their digital ID programs to support both Apple Wallet and Samsung Wallet.

But across all platforms, officials still recommend carrying a physical ID as a backup, because digital acceptance isn't universal yet and law enforcement or other checkpoints may still require the physical card.

I can't wait for digital IDs to work everywhere

This is one of those features I'm genuinely excited about. The idea of having my ID on my phone – the same device I already double-check before leaving the house – just makes sense. Airports are the perfect place to start, and once we all get used to tapping our phones instead of pulling out a wallet, it's going to be hard not to want this everywhere.

It's still early days, but seeing more states and big tech companies move in the same direction makes me hopeful. When digital IDs finally work at traffic stops, hotels, and everyday situations, it's going to feel like a real upgrade to daily life. Until then, I'll unfortunately carry both – but I’m definitely ready for the future where I don't have to.