Reviewed and updated October 12, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every fact on this page was read from the California DMV's own pages that day, and the DMV page each fact came from is linked where it appears.
California's digital license and the app that carries it: the three credentials in the CA DMV Wallet, the pilot and its 60 percent cap, how to enroll and the devices that qualify, where the mobile driver's license is accepted and where it is not, ID in Apple Wallet step by step, the mDL in Google Wallet and in Samsung Wallet, the reasons the DMV gives when an enrollment is rejected and its tips for the card scan and the liveness check, the privacy rules the DMV states, and the fraud rule. The plastic card itself, who gets a REAL ID and who gets a federal non-compliant card, is on the driver's license page and the REAL ID guide.
In this guide: What the CA DMV Wallet holds, Enrolling in the CA DMV Wallet, Where the mDL works, ID in Apple Wallet, The mDL in Google Wallet, The mDL in Samsung Wallet, When an enrollment is rejected, Questions about the California mobile driver's license
What the CA DMV Wallet holds
The DMV's CA DMV Wallet page describes three credentials. The mobile driver's license, mDL, which the DMV calls a free, secure and convenient digital ID and the state's first, lets you show your license or ID card on your phone with no physical card needed; the vehicle title credential carries the vehicle title; and the disabled person parking placard credential carries the placard identification. The mDL is a pilot, and the DMV says it is limited to 60 percent of the state's licensed drivers. The DMV also issues the mDL through Apple Wallet, Google Wallet and Samsung Wallet, with the differences in use described below.
Enrolling in the CA DMV Wallet
The DMV's steps: download the CA DMV Wallet app from the Apple App Store or Google Play, on an iPhone XS or later with iOS 17.5 or above, an Apple Watch Series 4 or later with WatchOS 10 or above, or an Android phone on Android 9 or above with NFC hardware; launch the app and log in to a MyDMV account, or create one, and provide the license or ID and other information; follow the prompts to scan the physical license or ID card; and afterwards refresh the mDL every 30 days by tapping Refresh Driver's License. The DMV posts a two-minute video on the setup. Two rules under the page's Important Usage Information: continue to carry the physical card, because many law enforcement agencies, government agencies and businesses do not accept the mDL yet, and usage is not tracked, with no data leaving the device without your consent.
Where the mDL works
The DMV lists four places for the CA DMV Wallet mDL: TSA checkpoints, to speed through airport security in California and at many other participating airports; TruAge, to buy age-restricted products at select Sacramento retail locations; the DMV's own site, to log in to a MyDMV account with no password by scanning a QR code; and CCCCO.edu, to apply and register for California Community Colleges. It keeps a page of more locations that accept the mDL. The DMV's mDL questions page draws a line between the wallets: the mDL in Apple, Google and Samsung Wallets is used for identity verification at select airports, with more uses coming, while the mDL in the CA DMV Wallet also verifies age and identity at select locations, logs in to MyDMV, applies for a California disabled person parking placard, and includes an mDL Reader that verifies another mDL holder's identity in real time. The placard application itself is on the disabled parking placards guide.
ID in Apple Wallet
ID in Apple Wallet is a voluntary, secure, digitized version of the California license or ID card on an iPhone and Apple Watch, per the DMV. It needs a valid California license or ID card and an iPhone XS or later or an Apple Watch Series 4 or later with the latest iOS or watchOS. To add it, open the Wallet app on the iPhone, tap the Add button, tap Driver's License or State ID and choose California, choose the iPhone only or the iPhone and a paired Apple Watch, scan the front and back of the card in a well-lit area against a simple dark background and confirm the capture; once approved the license appears in the Wallet app. The DMV says the card can be on two iPhones and two paired Apple Watches at a time, that the process is usually short, and that a notification saying Action is Required means the DMV needs more information and will send you to its website, sometimes to the CA DMV Wallet app, to finish. If the option to add a California ID is missing, the DMV says to check for an iPhone XS or newer on the latest iOS and otherwise to call Apple at (800) 275-2273, the same number it gives for anyone physically unable to complete the head movements the enrollment asks for. A request that is not approved can be submitted again in a brightly lit room with an even background; a lost or damaged plastic card is replaced through the DMV first, because the setup photographs the card, as the replacement license guide explains.
Presenting it: hold the top of the unlocked iPhone, or the watch display, near the identity reader; the screen shows what will be shared; double-click the side button, authenticate with the Face ID or Touch ID associated with the license, and a check mark confirms the presentation; the device is never shown or handed over. At the airport the DMV says the TSA reader requests specific information, the device displays what is asked, the information is released only after Face ID or Touch ID, and the reader then takes your picture; the airports it names are San Francisco International, Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International, Sacramento International and Los Angeles International, as determined by the TSA, with TSA.gov as the current list. In an app or app clip, the Verify with Apple Wallet or Continue with Apple Wallet button shows what the app requests, what it will store and for how long, and why, before the double-click or the Touch ID hold. The DMV describes the privacy design: the Wallet presents only the information the interaction needs, the user reviews and authorizes it first, the exchange is encrypted directly between the device and the reader, and biometric authentication keeps anyone else from presenting it. It is accepted in person wherever there are compliant readers, in select apps and at the TSA airports, and the DMV repeats that the plastic card still travels with you. There is no charge, and neither California nor Apple can see when or where it is presented. To remove it, select the license in the Wallet app, tap the More button, scroll to Remove This Driver's License or Remove This State ID and confirm; on the watch, use the Watch app's Wallet and Apple Pay section, and unpairing the watch removes it automatically. A new iPhone means removing the license from the old one first; a lost device can be locked or erased from Find My or iCloud.com. The DMV says it may give Apple the status of the authorization so Apple can update the device, that Apple's privacy policy governs what Apple holds, and that the DMV's own terms are in its Mobile Driver's License Software Terms of Use.
The mDL in Google Wallet
On an Android device the DMV's steps start in the Google Wallet app: tap Add to Wallet, tap ID Card, tap Get Started, choose the state, and follow the instructions to verify the license or ID card with the DMV. A missing option means checking the eligibility requirements in the Google Wallet Help Center, which the DMV also names for trouble scanning the barcode on the back of the card and for any help with the mDL; the DMV says a REAL ID compliant card is not required, and that the mDL is available only to a person with a current, valid California card. To present it with NFC, turn on NFC and Bluetooth, unlock the device and hold its top near the reader, review the information shown, authenticate, and look for the check mark; to present with a QR code, turn on Bluetooth, open Google Wallet, select the license, tap View Code and scan the code on the reader, then review and authenticate the same way. The credential is removed in the app by selecting it, tapping the three dots and tapping Remove, or remotely at myaccount.google.com under Personal Info, Digital ID, Manage digital ID, with a trash icon that deletes it from the device and the Google account; the DMV notes the page shows that an mDL exists but displays no personal information, which it says is not visible to Google. A removed mDL comes back with a new request in the app; there is no transfer between devices, so a new phone means deleting the old credential and submitting a new request for the DMV to approve; a lost device is handled from myaccount.google.com. At the airport the DMV says to carry the mobile or physical boarding pass as well, because a TSA agent can ask for it and some travelers still face enhanced screening. A person physically unable to complete the enrollment gestures is told to contact the DMV for help.
The mDL in Samsung Wallet
For Samsung Wallet the DMV's page lists two requirements: a physical, valid California license or ID card and a Samsung account. The page carries further Samsung Wallet answers that this guide does not reproduce; the two requirements above are the ones it opens with.
When an enrollment is rejected
The DMV says a holder of a valid card who is not a minor can simply apply again, and that someone rejected through another wallet may have better luck in the official CA DMV Wallet or at a designated field office. Its tips for the card scan: no wear or damage on either side of the card, a damaged card replaced before enrolling, the card on a flat, dark surface in good light, and a hand that does not cover any data. For the liveness or video check: the phone steady at eye level, no headwear, a plain background, indoors with consistent, ample light on the face, no other faces in the frame, no camera effects such as portrait mode, no low-power or greyscale mode, sunglasses off, and eyeglasses allowed once transitional lenses have cleared. The DMV's table of rejection reasons:
| Rejection reason | The DMV's next step |
|---|---|
| Issues with the image capture of the card or the selfie | One or more verification steps were not completed; try again following the scan and liveness tips |
| Too many attempts | Too many enrollments in a set period; try again tomorrow |
| Issues with the card scan, data not verified | Retry with the most recent card issued to you, not expired, following the tips |
| Issues with the card scan, no valid card on record | A valid, unexpired physical license or ID card is required |
| Too many mDLs in your wallet | Delete an active mDL before activating another |
| Opted out of the mDL | Visit the mDL portal and opt back in |
| Under 18 years old | A person must be 18 or older to request an mDL remotely |
The DMV's complaints page adds the rule that goes with it: submitting a falsified request to obtain someone else's mDL on a device, including using another person's license or ID card to get one, is unlawful and is reported through the DMV's complaint system, described on the online services guide.
Questions about the California mobile driver's license
Does the mobile driver's license replace my plastic card?
No. The DMV says to keep carrying the physical license or ID card, because many law enforcement agencies, government agencies and businesses do not accept the mDL yet, and describes the Apple Wallet version as a companion to the plastic card, not a replacement.
Who can get one?
A holder of a valid California license or ID card that is not expired or suspended, who is not a minor; the DMV's rejection list says a person must be 18 or older to request an mDL remotely. The pilot is limited to 60 percent of the state's licensed drivers, and the DMV names designated field offices where an mDL can be obtained in person.
Which phones work?
For the CA DMV Wallet app, an iPhone XS or later on iOS 17.5 or above, an Apple Watch Series 4 or later on WatchOS 10 or above, or an Android 9 or later phone with NFC hardware. ID in Apple Wallet needs an iPhone XS or later or an Apple Watch Series 4 or later on the latest iOS or watchOS; Google Wallet's eligibility is set out in the Google Wallet Help Center; Samsung Wallet needs a Samsung account and a physical, valid California card.
Where is it accepted?
At TSA checkpoints in participating airports, which for ID in Apple Wallet the DMV lists as San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento and Los Angeles as determined by the TSA; at businesses with standards-compliant readers; in select apps; with TruAge at select Sacramento retail locations; to log in to a MyDMV account without a password; and to apply and register at California Community Colleges. The CA DMV Wallet version also applies for a disabled person parking placard and carries an mDL Reader that verifies another holder's identity.
Is my use of it tracked?
No, per the DMV: usage is not tracked and no data leaves the device without your consent. For Apple Wallet the DMV says neither California nor Apple can see when or where the ID is presented; the usage information is encrypted and stored only on the device.
What does it cost?
Nothing. The DMV calls the California mDL free, and says there is no cost to add or use the license or ID on an iPhone or Apple Watch.
Do I need a REAL ID to add my license to Google Wallet?
No. The DMV says a REAL ID compliant card is not required for Google Wallet.
Written by SearchSystems.net from the California DMV's CA DMV Wallet page, mDL questions page and complaints page, read on October 12, 2026.