UK Government announces new digital driving licences
UK Government has announced plans to digitise UK driving licences, which would become a new form of accepted ID within a Government app.
These digital driving licences would become an accepted form of identity to access the purchasing of alcohol, age verification at supermarket checkouts, boarding of domestic flights and even voting in elections.
Across the UK, approximately 40 million people own a full driving licence, expanding this to provisional licence holders takes the total closer to 50 million. This new form of reuseable digital ID has the potential to become the go-to solution for millions of people in accessing goods and services in a convenient and secure manner.
The advantages of a digital driving licence
Digital Identity’s typically offer a more secure and privacy-enabled approach to proving who you are. For example, digital id’s-including this newly announced digital licence- often allow the user to chose which information they wish to share. Early reports suggest there will be a feature allowing users to toggle on and off personal details like an address, when sharing with retail or bar staff.
Digital IDs can also offer advanced security thanks to biometrics, cryptography and multi-factor authentication, in addition to much more user convenience. techUK's Digital ID Summit in November 2024, revealed that many policy and industry experts viewed convenience and real-world use cases as key to greater adoption. A digital option is especially pertinent when almost 1 million physical driving licences are lost in the UK each year.
Wider identity context
Adoption of digital identity in the UK is accelerating. In December 2024, DSIT announced that alcohol sales, whether at pubs, retailers or clubs, would soon be permissible through a digital ID. This Is following a consultation by the Home Office in March 2024 on age verification for accessing alcohol. This year, the Data Use and Access Bill is expected to enter into law, containing within it the establishment of a Trust Framework outlining a set of standards for identity service providers. This should set the stage for greater expansion of digital ID use cases across the economy and people’s lives.
Many nations already offer Mobile Driving Licences (MDLs) such as Denmark, Norway, some US states such as California and Australia. In the EU, eIDAS legislation mandates each member state to introduce an accepted digital identity within a mobile digital wallet by 2026. It remains to be seen how the UK digital licence will interact within other nations frameworks.
techUK perspective
techUK welcomes the expanded opportunities for digital ID to make people’s lives easier, safer and more empowered with their privacy. The Government should continue this momentum, allowing further areas of the public and private sector to accept digital forms of identification.
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As the UK’s largest trade association for technology, techUK includes many Digital ID companies as members, and acts as a leading voice in the sector.
Digital identities will provide a gateway for citizens and SMEs into the connected ecosystem of services making up the digital economy.
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