UK to Launch Digital Driving Licences in 2025

The UK government is set to introduce digital driving licences later this year as part of its initiative to modernize public services through technology.

The new licences will be available through a government smartphone app and could serve as valid identification for tasks such as buying alcohol, voting, or boarding domestic flights. While physical licences will still be issued, the digital option is intended to provide a modern alternative.

A government spokesperson stated, “This government is committed to using technology to make people’s lives easier and transform public services. Technology now makes it possible for digital identities to be more secure than physical ones, but we remain clear that they will not be made mandatory.”

According to reports, digital licences may also simplify age verification at supermarket self-checkouts, enabling customers to verify their age without staff intervention.

The app, called Gov.uk Wallet, will include security features similar to those found in banking apps, such as biometrics and multi-factor authentication, ensuring only the rightful owner can access the licence. The system could also include additional features, such as the ability to hide personal details like addresses in certain situations, such as at bars or shops.

Future plans for the Gov.uk Wallet may extend to other services, such as tax payments, benefits claims, and even the integration of other identification forms, like national insurance numbers. However, physical identification methods will remain in place alongside digital options.

This move stops short of introducing a broad digital ID card, an idea previously proposed by Sir Tony Blair and Lord William Hague but met with concerns about privacy. Privacy advocacy groups have voiced opposition to mandatory digital ID systems, describing them as a potential threat to personal privacy.

The concept of digital driving licences has been under development since 2016, according to the UK’s Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). Similar virtual licences are already in use in countries like Australia, Denmark, Iceland, and Norway, as well as in several US states. In the European Union, all member states are required to introduce at least one form of digital ID by 2026.

With over 34 million full driving licence holders in England as of 2023, the introduction of digital licences represents a significant step in modernizing public services in the UK.

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