Towards the end of January 2025, the government announced that it was developing a secure app to allow a mobile version of a driving licence to be stored on a smartphone, in addition to paper and card versions.
The app will be a digital wallet that will, it is hoped, ultimately hold other digital documents such as entitlement to benefits, a DBS (criminal record) check, a veteran’s card, proof of age to be able to purchase restricted items, and a passport.
In time it is thought that, because the app will be securely protected by password and/or biometric log-in, instead of official communications being sent by post, they could be sent electronically directly to an individual’s smartphone and app.
The government says that usage of digital versions of licences, passes and the like will be voluntary.
While the digital wallet is to be welcomed, it does appear that the UK is coming a little late to the party – a pilot will be running by the end of 2025 with the app fully rolled out, if all goes to plan, by the end of 2027.
However, Mexico was first out of the block with a form of electronic driving licence in 2007. In Europe, Norway introduced a version in October 2019, then came Iceland in July 2020 and Denmark in November 2020. Further afield, some US states, such as Louisiana and Colorado, now offer digital driving licences.
Of course, the true value of a licence comes not so much in its usability domestically but when driving overseas. As a result, an International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) standard for the mobile driving licence (ISO/IEC 18013-5) was created, subsequently approved in August 2021 and published in September 2021.
And greater rollout of digital IDs and personal digital wallets is on the cards – in Europe at least – through the EU Digital ID Regulation, which mandates that member states provide digital identity wallets for citizens.
As digital technology trade association techUK.org commented when the regulation came into effect in May last year, “the EU Digital ID Regulation seeks interoperability between government, citizens and industry under one framework for 27 countries. It doesn’t just stop at European borders; the EU is actively seeking wider international interoperability.” It gives the example of an EU and Japan memorandum of cooperation that establishes agreements of cooperation on Digital ID with the EU’s Digital ID wallet and trust services. In other words, the EU’s concept could roll out around the world.
However, could there be problems with the acceptance of normal non-digital licences?
Last August, TV channel GB News ran a story which said that motorists were being warned of potential digital driving licence issues, and that they may wish to consider seeking extra road permits when travelling in certain situations.
In essence, while the digital app and, for example, digital driving licence will be voluntary in the UK, GB News is suggesting that it might become a de facto requirement if a UK driver wants to hire a vehicle elsewhere. It cited the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), which warned drivers that it may be more difficult for a rental company to verify that an old-style licence is genuine, or they may no longer accept paper licences at all. The BVRLA says that drivers “may wish to consider adding a note to their booking, stating that a digital driving licence is not currently accepted in the UK and therefore a physical licence will be presented”, when hiring a car overseas, in order to forestall any issues when collecting the vehicle.
On the plus side, some countries around the world currently require drivers with a paper licence to also have an International Driving Permit, or to carry a secondary form of photo ID, such as a passport. All of these problems may disappear once the UK formally introduces a digital wallet with allied documents.
But there remain nagging security concerns. William Fletcher, managing director at Car.co.uk, highlighted privacy and cybersecurity risks. He thinks that “storing sensitive information on mobile devices increases the risk of data breaches and hacking, something which can happen to anyone no matter how good your phone security is.”
There’s also a potential issue with device power – what would happen when showing your licence is required, but the phone is not charged? How will people prove their identity?
There is clearly much for the government to ponder.