Get started with ID Verifier

ID Verifier-enabled apps allow businesses and organizations to use an iPhone to easily accept mobile IDs in person — without the need for external hardware.

Easy and secure

ID Verifier enables iPhone to seamlessly and securely read ISO18013-5-compliant mobile IDs, with no additional hardware required. Apple provides the key components of the certificate issuance, management, and validation processes — simplifying development while delivering a consistent and trusted ID verification experience to users.

Privacy enhancing

Customers only provide the minimum data needed to verify their age or identity and information is encrypted between devices, so customers don’t need to show or hand over their iPhone.

How it works

ID Verifier can be used in two different ways depending on your verification use case:

  • ID Verifier - Display Only: Allows apps to use the iOS system UI to display Name, Age, ID Photo, and Age Over N data for in-person visual confirmation only. Apps don’t read or store the ID information.
  • ID Verifier - Data Transfer: Allows apps access to additional data elements, such as date of birth and address, in order to meet legal verification requirements.

In order to use ID Verifier, you’ll need:

  • An ID Verifier-enabled iOS app.
  • An iPhone XS or later with iOS 17 or later.
  • Your device region set to United States.

Implementing display-only capabilities

To enable ID Verifier - Display Only, you’ll need to add the Verifier API capability to your app’s target in Xcode 15 or later and build your app with the iOS 17 SDK. This will provide your app the ability to leverage the iOS system UI to display Name, Age, ID Photo, and Age Over N data for in-person visual confirmation.

As you design, build, and test your app, be sure to follow the Human Interface Guidelines for ID Verifier. And to get your app’s name and icon displayed within the iOS system UI, visit Apple Business Register.

iOS system UI view for the business

Mobile ID UI view for the customer

Implementing data transfer capabilities

If your app needs to access data such as date of birth and address in order to meet legal verification requirements, you can request access to the ID Verifier - Data Transfer entitlement. Requests are granted per bundle ID (the app’s unique identifier) and assigned entitlements can only be used with the single App ID. You must be the Account Holder of an Apple Developer Program or Apple Developer Enterprise Program account to make this request.

In order to be eligible, your business must:

  • Already require an equivalent age or identity verification process for each user who obtains the same goods or services for the relevant jurisdiction for in-person transactions.
  • Be subject to a legal requirement on age or identity verification that can’t be met with the data available via ID Verifier - Display Only or Verify with Wallet.

Information you’ll need to provide in your request

  1. App information

    • App name
    • Bundle ID (the app’s unique identifier)
    • App Store or TestFlight URL
    • Description of the good or service being offered through your app that requires age or identity verification
    • Legal requirements for the jurisdictions or enterprise settings that require age or identity verification in person
    • Details of your existing age or identity verification process for one of the jurisdictions or enterprise settings where you plan to use ID Verifier - Data Transfer (with screenshots, if applicable)
    • Explanation for why you need to verify and/or store age or ID data for in-person transactions, and why ID Verifier - Display Only or Verify with Wallet can’t satisfy your current need for identity verification

  2. Legal information

    When you select the data type your app requires for the purposes of age or identity verification, you’ll need to cite the specific legal requirement (federal, state, local, and/or enterprise) for each data request. The following data types are available in ID Verifier - Data Transfer.

    Age and identity verification data:

    • Address
    • Age in Years
    • Age Over N Flag
    • Date of Birth
    • Document Expiration Date
    • Document Issue Date
    • Document Number
    • Driving Privileges
    • Family Name
    • Given Name (includes middle names, if available)
    • Issuing Authority
    • ID Photo

  3. Usage information

    • Reasons why your app requires age or identity verification
    • Confirmation of whether or not ID Verifier - Display Only or Verify with Wallet can meet your age or identity verification needs
    • List of relevant locations/enterprise settings, and the applicable laws (city, county, state, or federal) for apps that need to verify a user’s age or identity in specific geographic locations or enterprise settings
    • Confirmation that your existing age/identity verification process applies only to users in the jurisdictions or enterprise settings where you’re required to verify identity or age
    • Screenshots of your app’s existing age/identity verification process, if available

  4. Data processing information

    • List of the data that your existing age or identity verification process collects, and a description of how it’s verified
    • Acknowledgement whether or not the requested data from ID Verifier - Data Transfer will be processed (used, stored, or disclosed) in a manner different than the data you collect through your existing verification process
    • Confirmation of whether or not you’re required to retain any data after the verification process is completed
    • Acknowledgement whether or not any data will be processed by a third party (service provider, affiliate, or non-affiliated entity)
    • The URL link to your app’s data retention policy, and the data retention policy for each third party that will retain any data on your behalf, if available

When to resubmit a request

If your app was assigned an entitlement, you’ll need to update Apple on any expanded use of ID Verifier - Data Transfer. This includes any of the following scenarios:

  • You expand verification to additional geographic locations or enterprise settings subject to legal requirements.
  • You expand verification to additional groups of users who are subject to legal requirements.
  • You expand verification to additional categories of goods or services that are subject to legal requirements.
  • You need access to additional data elements due to legal requirements.

Configuring and enabling the entitlement in Xcode

After you’ve received an email confirmation that the ID Verifier - Data Transfer Entitlement has been assigned to your account and you’ve configured the app ID in Certificates, Identifiers, and Profiles to support this entitlement, you’ll need to update your Xcode project, entitlements plist file, and Info.plist file to list the entitlement and metadata.

For details on managing your app’s Info.plist file, view documentation.

Issuing authority certificates for ID Verifier - Data Transfer

If you’d prefer to use the CBOR-encoded data (Raw Data Request) you’ll need the:

Documentation, videos, and resources