Forgetting your driving licence will soon be a thing of the past.
Digital smartphone driving licences are on course to arrive later this year, This is Money can confirm.
The major update is part of a new ‘GOV.UK Wallet and App’ that will prove your right to drive, your age, and access key government documents – but don’t panic if you want to stick with plastic because physical IDs will still be valid.
The digitalisation reforms aim to ‘improve ways for people to interact with the Government digitally’ and help a push towards efficiency savings targets of £45billion.
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander said: ‘This is a game changer for the millions of people who use their driving licence as ID.’
So, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about getting a digital driving licence, including the pros and cons.
You won’t be getting your ID out anymore! The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has confirmed that digital driving licences are arriving later this year
When are digital driving licences coming? Is it compulsory to get one?
A Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) spokesman confirmed to This is Money that a digital driving licence will arrive later this year.
‘The GOV.UK Wallet will be launched this summer with the first credential being a digital Veteran card.
‘Later in the year, we plan to begin rolling out a digital driving licence, which will eventually be usable for everything your paper licence is currently used for.
‘We’re working closely with DVLA and industry to meet this timeline.’
DSIT also confirmed to us that digital driving licences won’t be compulsory.
‘There are no plans to make the GOV.UK Wallet, or digitised documents mandatory, and physical documents will remain an option for those who prefer them,’ the spokesperson clarified.
Your digital driving licence will be access through your smartphone, via a GOV.UK Wallet app and you’ll be able to show it like you do your bank cards
What is a digital driving licence? And how does it work?
A digital driving licence is a free (no need to pay) electronic version of your driving licence that is accessible via an app on your smartphone.
It’s accessed through the Government’s online (GOV.UK) Wallet app and will be compatible with both i.OS and Android.
Essentially, it’s similar to the new digital railcards.
You’ll be able to check renewals, your driving record and endorsements on the app too.
The app will use two-factor security checks already built into modern smartphones like facial recognition to make sure documents are secure and are only accessed by the right person.
The app will also remember users’ activity so you’ll have a more convenient and personalised experience, and in future there will also be an AI-powered chatbot – ‘GOV.UK Chat’ to help with services and payments.
What are the benefits of digital driving licences?
An estimated 50million Britons hold a full or provisional driving licence, so moving to a digital form comes with pros for some and cons for others.
Research by Quotezone recently found Britons are divided over the introduction of digital driving licences: 49 per cent of respondents welcome the change, but 47 per cent are against it.
Having a digital driving licence on your phone makes it easy to show your ID and is a secure way to hold your licence, without the worry of losing it
There are some obvious benefits, with the first one being the fact you don’t have to carry around a physical ID.
As banking, health services, and many other daily services are already on your phone it’s a handy natural step to have your driving licence on your phone too and not in a physical wallet.
Even if you lost your phone you can’t lose your app login and digital driving licence on the app.
A smartphone app is also easy to access, and will store all your driving licence details and documents in one place and under one login.
It also comes with enhanced security and two-factor authentication.
You’ll be able to immediately cancel documents if you realise they’ve been stolen.
What are the concerns with digital driving licences?
Although there are many benefits, big changes like this come with considerations.
There’s a concern it’s another step towards a digital society that’s leaving older generations behind, in a similar way to how cashless parking is.
Car finance provider CarMoney is particularly worried that those without regular access to smartphones or the confidence to use them might struggle.
Older drivers and people living in rural areas with patchy mobile coverage are likely to face the biggest hurdles.
However, plastic driving licences will still be valid. Quotezone found 87 per cent of respondents prefer physical driving licences.
There’s potential for access issues too, and there’s of course a reliance on your phone being charged. If you run out of charge at a critical moment you won’t be able to show your ID.
This could lead to similar problems as to when your phone runs out of charge and you can’t show your digital train ticket.
Many people will also be concerned around security and data sharing through a personal platform, and that people’s activity could be monitored.
It’s not just the licence that will be digitalised; you can build a dashboard on the GOV.UK app that lets you access road tax, MOT and other services so drivers can have everything in one useful hub
Why is the new GOV.UK Wallet useful for drivers?
While many parts of the GOV.UK Wallet and digitalisation of documents is helpful, for motorists the digital driving licence part of the app is particularly useful.
Because you’ll be able to build a personalised dashboard for all services related to your car.
For instance on your dashboard you’ll be able to apply for road tax, look at MOT information or view your driving records – it’s a hub for car ownership too.
When was the last time there was a change to driving licences?
The last time there was a major change to driving licences was 27 years ago.
In 1998 the DVLA replaced the old-style paper licence with today’s plastic photocard and a paper counterpart.
Then in 2015 the paper part was stopped, mainly to make sure that there wasn’t a reliance on out-of-date pieces of paper during essential checks.
What other digital documents are arriving?
The Veteran Card – proof that a person has served in the armed forces – will be the first digital document to be issued, followed by the digital driving licence.
However, Science Secretary Peter Kyle has set out plans for the GOV.UK Wallet to also include DBS checks and every other credential issued by the government by the end of 2027.
Again, these are only ‘for those who choose to use them’, and traditional physical documents will remain available for those who wish to continue to use them.
When do you have to apply for a digital driving licence? And how?
There’ll be an announcement when the GOV.UK Wallet is launched this summer.
Then when digital driving licences arrive later this year you’ll need to download the GOV.UK Wallet App from Apple or Google Play App stores – but make sure you only use the official ones.
You’ll then need to verify your identity, upload relevant documents and complete facial recognition.
Once your application has been processed you’ll be able to access your digital driving licence on your smartphone and use the other services.
A new study found that only 43% of motorists realised that a move to digital documentation is coming, and soon
Do people know digital driving licences are coming?
This is Money will cover the move closer to the time too, but the recent announcements by the government seem to have gone unnoticed by a lot of drivers.
A a survey of 1,000 motorists released last month by Regtransfers revealed that just 43 per cent of drivers with a full or provisional licence are aware of the move to digital documentation.
The EU is also working on digital driving licences which will help raise awareness.
But if 50 million drivers seems like a lot for the UK government to deal with, the EU is working to digitalise the licences of a whopping 440 million drivers – almost 10 times the amount!
