Things are heating up in the IDV space after the introduction of the new legislation, The Data (Use and Access) bill and the announcement of a brand new Government digital wallet (Gov.uk wallet) launching by the end of the year, which will include a digital driving licence.
The new bill will open the pathways for the widespread adoption of Digital Identity in the UK, offering updated guidance and regulations to navigate the ever-expanding digital landscape. Read about the new law and its impact here.
But one of the most exciting aspects of the new Gov.uk digital wallet is the digital driver’s licence. Let’s delve into everything you need to know before it goes live.
What is the digital driving licence?
At the beginning of 2025, the UK government announced the planned launch of a Gov.uk digital wallet, which is a new smartphone app that will hold digital documentation. A digital driver’s licence and a digital veteran card will be the initial focus with plans to expand into further documents at a later date. These documents will be a digital alternative to physical ID documents or can be used alongside them.
The government has stated the wallet will be designed to be used in conjunction with the Gov.uk ‘One Login’ system for secure access and authentication. The drivers licence itself will be a digital version of your physical driver’s licence and will include the same information such as name, age, address, etc. The only difference is it will be held in an electronic wallet that can be accessed through your mobile device.
What will it be used for?
The key objective of the digital driver’s licence will be to make it easier to prove your identity on the go and will primarily be used to prove your age when buying age-restricted goods in shops or online, as well as proving your right to drive. A pilot is expected to be rolled out by the end of 2025, and the government plans that by the end of 2027 digital alternatives alongside all physical paper or card credentials will need to be offered within government services. This signals more digital documents are set to be released into the mobile wallet.
Benefits of a digital driver’s licence for government services
Selective disclosure – Quite possibly one of the most impressive features is selective disclosure, allowing you to only share what you want on your digital driver’s licence. For example, you could prove your age without sharing your address, protecting your data even further.
Secure – When it comes to security features, the Gov.uk digital wallet is expected to replicate bank level security, including biometric authentication; making it even more difficult for fraudsters to access data and commit identity fraud.
Instant access – With your Gov.uk digital wallet being within an app sat on your mobile device, you can instantly access your digital driver’s licence from anywhere in the world as long as you have your phone in your hand.
Seamlessly updated – Any changes or updates to your drivers record made with the DVLA will be automatically updated to reflect on your digital driver’s licence. New drivers will be able to get their credentials within hours instead of days.
Efficiency – The government have declared the reforms to the public sector technology will save £45 billion and drive efficiency and growth. It will also bring the UK up to speed with the likes of Australia and Europe who have all already incorporated digital ID verification into their systems.
When is the digital driving licence launching in a digital wallet?
Official timelines from Gov.uk are as below:
Summer 2025 – The pilot of the digital driver’s licence
End of 2025 – The pilot of the digital veteran card
End of 2027 – Blueprint commitment to require services to issue a digital verified credential alongside any paper or card-based credential or proof of entitlement eligibility.
The broad impact – How it will make identity verification more accessible
The Gov.uk digital wallet and the digital driver’s licence is just the start and is sure to transform public services. With the Data (Use and Access) bill now officially launched, the direction we are going is clear, and its towards digitalised services across both the public and private sector.
The Gov.uk digital wallet will make identity verification so much more accessible for public services, including underrepresented communities and minority groups who may have otherwise struggled to prove their identity in person due to costs or travel.
But the bigger, broader impact it will have is that it will act as an information gateway that will be open to private companies via Certified Identity Service Providers (IDSPs) to create more digital verification tools for a wider use.
As an example, Credas are launching the Credas Compliance Wallet. Primarily for the Property sector initially, the wallet will include ID verification, AML checks, Peps and Sanctions screenings plus optional features such as Source of Funds, etc. It will be instantly accessible and shareable, cutting the average times a home buyer needs to verify their identity down from 5.4 times to 1.
It will revolutionise the industry, streamline compliance processes and make processes so much more convenient.
