THE GOVERNMENT is preparing to introduce digital driving licences as part of efforts to modernise public services.
Accessible through a new government smartphone app, these digital licences could be used for tasks such as purchasing alcohol, voting, or boarding domestic flights.
Physical licences will continue to be issued, but the voluntary digital option aims to enhance convenience and security, reported The Times.
A government spokesperson told the BBC: “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 The Times, features of the virtual licences may include allowing users to hide their address in certain settings, such as shops or bars.
The app, called Gov.uk, will include a secure "wallet" designed with banking-style protections like biometrics and multifactor authentication to ensure only the licence owner can access it.
The government is also exploring options to integrate additional services into the app, such as tax payments, benefits claims, and other forms of identification like national insurance numbers. However, physical IDs will not be replaced entirely.
The idea of digital licences was first discussed by the UK Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in 2016.
Similar systems are already in use in Australia, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and some US states.
The European Union is requiring all member states to introduce at least one form of digital ID by 2026.
Nirmala Sitharaman speaks at the India-UK Investor Roundtable in London last Wednesday (9). On the panel were India’s department of economic affairs secretary Ajay Seth and Kotak Mahindra Bank founder Uday Kotak
Sitharaman with Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves
Sitharaman with Jonathan Reynolds 
Sitharaman with Reynolds, Alastair King, India’s high commissioner Vikram Doraiswami and other delegates