UK set to introduce digital driving licences

The UK government plans to launch digital driving licenses, aiming to use technology to "transform public services." This digital license will be accessed through a new government smartphone application and is expected to be accepted as proof of identity when purchasing alcoholic beverages, voting, or taking domestic flights.

Although physical licenses will continue to be issued, government ministers believe that the voluntary adoption of digital licenses will "bring government into the 2020s," according to The Times. A government spokesperson told BBC News: "This government is committed to using technology to make people's lives easier and transform public services."

The spokesperson also stated: "Technology now makes digital identity more secure than physical identity, but we have also been clear that digital identity will not be compulsory." According to The Times, the virtual license could also be used at supermarket self-checkouts, allowing customers to verify their age themselves without waiting for staff. The new digital license is expected to be launched later this year.

One potential feature is allowing users to hide their address in certain situations, such as in bars or shops. Government data shows that there were over 50 million full or provisional driving license holders in the UK in 2023. The digital license will likely be launched as a "wallet" function within a new government application called Gov.uk. It is reported that the wallet's security is similar to many banking applications, allowing access only to the true owner of the license.

The application will use features found on many smartphones, such as biometrics and multi-factor authentication, such as security codes. It is claimed that the government is considering integrating other services into the application, such as tax payments and benefit applications. Other forms of identification, such as National Insurance numbers, may also be added, but are not expected to completely replace physical identification. The new technology does not appear to be developing into the wide-ranging digital identity cards previously called for by Sir Tony Blair and Lord William Hague.

At the time, the head of the privacy organization Big Brother Watch stated that the move "would be one of the biggest infringements on privacy in the UK." In 2016, the then head of the UK Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) said that digital licenses were being developed. Virtual licenses are already in use in Australia, Denmark, Iceland, and Norway, as well as some states in the United States. In the EU, each member state must introduce at least one form of digital identification by 2026.