Illinois licenses and IDs to enter digital realm on Apple Wallet

Illinois driver’s licenses and identification cards will officially enter the digital realm this week.

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced Tuesday that people will now have the option to add their Illinois-issued licenses and IDs to the digital wallets on their cellphones. The long-awaited technological advancement will allow digital IDs to be used to enter a bar or at an airport checkpoint, among other situations.

The option will be available in Apple Wallet starting Wednesday with plans to expand the program to Google and Samsung wallets soon, Giannoulias said, calling it “a gamechanger.”

“Your ID now lives securely in the same place that you already tap to pay for groceries, present a boarding pass for a flight or enter a concert — all protected by the same cutting-edge pr