What are digital driving licences? GOV.UK Wallet explained

It’s been more than 120 years since the UK first introduced the necessity for a driving licence, with the forthcoming digital driving licence is set to become the next innovation and standard.

Originally, a driving licence  – at first known as a ‘Driving Certificate’ – came in the form of a yellow sheet of paper that was issued by the Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland. Following the passing of the Road Traffic Act 1934, the licence was only issued after a driver had passed a proficiency test.

This sheet gradually evolved into a small booklet, then back to a sheet of paper and then the plastic photocard which, under the Identity Documents Act 2010, can be used as an official form of identification.

The next step, as with seemingly everything nowadays, is digitisation, with digital driving licences set to arrive later this year. But what are digital driving licences, how do they work and how will they be beneficial? Our handy guide reveals all.

What is a digital driving licence and how does it work?

A digital driving licence is exactly what you'd expect: a digitised, virtual version of your driving licence that can be accessed via your mobile phone.

As with a physical driving licence, the digital equivalent will contain all the same information and will, according to a Government spokesperson, will “eventually be usable for everything your paper licence is currently used for”.

The digital driving licence will be accessed on your phone via the GOV.UK Wallet app and will essentially act much in the same way as the paper counterpart did years ago in the sense that it will be supplementary to the physical copy.

What is the GOV.UK Wallet?

GOV.UK Wallet is the new app coming to iOS and Android smartphones that will let users access their digital driving licence, as well as other forms of identification, without the need to physically carry them around.

Due to be fully launched later this year, the first type of ID that will work with the GOV.UK Wallet app will be the HM Armed Forces Veteran Card. However, drivers will be able to store their driving licence information within the app towards the end of 2025.

Users will be able to click on whichever piece of documentation they wish to display and, in the case of the digital driving licence, they will be presented with their photocard headshot, as well as their licence number, expiry date, plus other personal information, such as their date of birth.

All of this will eventually be integrated into the full GOV.UK App.

What is the GOV.UK App?

Also available on iOS and Android, the GOV.UK app is intended to be a one-stop shop for anything Government-related, including applying for a new passport and checking tax codes.

For motorists, the GOV.UK app will be useful for checking the road-tax status of a car and paying for its Vehicle Excise Duty, as well as sharing driving licence information – such as generating check codes for car hire. The app will also contain advice on driving abroad, learning to drive or even buying a car – something you can now do via the Auto Express Find A Car service, by the way.

Users can download the app for free and sign in using their GOV.UK One Login. They can then customise the homepage for quick access to certain functions. There isn’t a whole lot you can do yet – the app mainly acts as a launcher for different Government webpages – but will eventually gain more functionality, such as an AI Chatbot, in future updates.

How will this make my life easier?

Fundamentally, both the GOV.UK Wallet and GOV.UK apps have been designed to make accessing information quick, easy and secure. Integrating documentation into a smartphone – something almost all of us carry around with us almost all the time – negates the need to also carry a wallet or purse, two things that are becoming less of a necessity in an age of Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Technology secretary Peter Kyle said the Government's new approach to apps will “do away with clunky paper forms and hours spent on hold, so you can immediately get the information you need and continue on with the rest of your day”.

When will this launch?

The GOV.UK App is already available to download, although it can currently only manage childcare payments and/or view information from the GOV.UK website.

GOV.UK Wallet, on the other hand, is set to make its debut in the autumn, along with the Veteran Card. Auto Express asked the Government when we could expect to see digital driving licences arrive on the app, but it could not be pinned down any further than “later this year”.

Security and privacy issues?

As with other things that are digitised, the announcement of digital driving licences has immediately prompted concerns over the security of having this kind of documentation on a phone, with some people worried this could lead to identity theft.

The GOV.UK Wallet app will use biometric technology to allow only the owner to access the documentation inside. Much like traditional wallet apps on smartphones, users will be able to scan their face or fingerprint – or enter their phone’s password as a last resort – to view documents. 

This data will be stored on-device, meaning phone manufacturers such as Apple or Samsung, for example, won’t have access to users’ GOV.UK Wallet information. Although, in theory, a phone could be stolen just like a physical wallet, the password-protected nature of a smartphone provides an extra level of security.

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