Motorists will soon see revolutionary new digital driving licences rolled out as part of the Government’s move to provide more online services.
Millions of people across the UK are expected to be able to sign up for a digital driving licence this year following extensive testing by the Government Digital Service.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed that digital driving licences would be introduced in January last year as part of the new GOV.UK App.
It originally stated that an early version of a digital driving licence would be available “later this year”, although testing is ongoing.
The Government Digital Service confirmed that it had built a GOV.UK One Login app to store credentials and delivered the digital Veteran Card.
In an update in January this year, the GDS outlined that it had started private testing for the digital driving licence alongside the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
The organisation has also worked closely with the Digital Verification Service industry to enable suitable checks for measures included in the GOV.UK One Login app.
It added that in 2026, the DVS sector would be allowed to test how to share data from the digital driving licence with third parties.
The digital driving licence is expected to launch in the coming months | PA/GOV.UK
It confirmed that there would be a “full rollout later in the year”, with millions of drivers set to have their licence details on their phones.
Speaking in 2025, the Transport Secretary described the new technology as a “game changer for the millions of people who use their driving licence as ID”.
While the digital driving licence will not replace the standard photocard licence, motorists will have the option to use the GOV.UK One Login app to prove their age.
All other services are expected to be offered as a digital alternative alongside paper or card credentials by the end of next year.
The GOV.UK digital driving licence app will also show tax reminders | GOV.UK
Peter Kyle, who was Science Secretary at the time, said: “GOV.UK Wallet will mean that every letter or identity document you receive from the government could be issued to you virtually.
“For people who choose to use GOV.UK Wallet, they will find it easier to prove they’re entitled to benefits or check their age when buying alcohol or DIY equipment, with more security and trust than ever before.
“Crucially, it also opens huge opportunities to make interacting with public services much easier by putting people in control of their own data.”
Other nations are also looking to roll out digital services for motorists, including India, which recently launched its Digital India initiatives.
The EU plans to roll out digital driving licences over the coming years | GETTY
The app allows drivers to access their driving licence at any time, with the Indian government outlining that people would not need to carry their physical card.
Drivers in the European Union will also benefit from new features in the near future, with the EU stating it would make “licence replacement, renewal, and exchange significantly easier when moving between Member States”.
While it did not give a firm date when the technology would be introduced, Member States will begin issuing the functions “after a brief transitional period”.
Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, stated: “Today marks a major step forward in modernising our driver’s licencing system and bringing down the unacceptable number of road deaths across the EU.”