For a few years, Google has been improving its Wallet app to make it more useful for payments and storing things like boarding passes, loyalty cards, and transit cards. States like Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, and Maryland already allow Google Wallet to store personal IDs and driver’s licenses.
Now, California has joined in, too. The latest version of Google Wallet lets you add California IDs and driver’s licenses, but it’s still in a pilot phase, limited to 1.5 million users.
To use this feature, you need a smartphone running Android 8.0 or later, along with Bluetooth and nearby devices permissions enabled. This lets the Wallet app share your ID with entities that request it, and you can choose which information to share, which helps protect your privacy.
It’s important to know that government-issued cards don’t sync with your Google account. They stay on your phone, so you’ll need to add them again if you switch devices.
The verification process involves taking a short selfie video sent to the DMV. You’ll get an email once your verification is complete.
