What Is a Digital Driving Licence?
FixMyCar explains everything you need to know about digital driving licences in the UK.
Book a car repair nowEllie Dyer-Brown
Monday February 17 2025
4 min read
The UK is gearing up to introduce digital driving licences in 2025, making it easy to access important documents securely. Instead of carrying a physical licence, you’ll soon be able to prove your age and right to drive using an app on your phone.
But how do digital licences work, and what do these changes mean for you? Here’s everything you need to know.
What is a digital driving licence?
A digital driving licence serves the same purpose as a physical licence - it proves your identity and right to drive. The only difference is that it’s stored securely in an app on your smartphone.
This means you can use it for age verification when buying age-restricted products or hiring a vehicle.
Importantly, there are no plans to make digital licences mandatory. You’ll still be able to carry a traditional card if you prefer.
How will digital driving licences work in the UK?
According to the UK government, drivers will have the option to store and access their digital licence via a secure app. This change is part of broader reforms to public sector technology to drive efficiency and growth.
Once fully released, digital driving licences will be available to drivers across the UK through a government app that will allow you to:
View your driving record
Renew your licence
Check endorsements
Securely share your licence details
The app will provide security measures, such as two-factor authentication, to keep your data safe and prevent misuse.
What is GOV.UK Wallet?
The GOV.UK wallet is a digital platform to store documents issued by the government, such as proof of benefits or your driving licence. You can access these documents from your phone and use them in the same way as physical documents.
Science Secretary Peter Kyle says that the GOV.UK Wallet “opens huge opportunities to make interacting with public services much easier by putting people in control of their own data.”
Key features of the GOV.UK Wallet:
Available on iOS and Android devices
Includes a digital Veteran Card (coming in 2025)
Mobile driving licence pilot launching in 2025
All government services will offer digital alternatives by the end of 2027
Instant access to documents without waiting for them to arrive by post
Learn more about the government’s plan for digitisation.
Why are digital driving licences being introduced?
Streamlining access to important documents and services is one of the government’s key priorities, and providing access to a digital driving licence is one of the first major steps towards this goal.
Drivers will have the option to use a conventional driving licence card or access a digital licence via their smartphone.
Benefits of digital driving licences:
Harder to lose or forge
Quick and easy to access
No need to carry a physical card
Enhanced security with encryption and two-factor authentication
The UK’s Science Secretary says: “We will be overhauling how the public sector uses technology, which is essential to delivering our Plan for Change, and in combination with this new tech for people to use themselves, we are going to slash the time people waste dealing with annoying processes so they can focus on what matters to them.”
Several countries have successfully implemented digital driving licences, including Denmark, Norway, Australia and Iceland.
What happens next?
Digital driving licences are expected to roll out as a pilot programme in 2025, with wider availability planned soon after. In the meantime, drivers can continue using their physical licences while looking forward to the added convenience of digital access in the near future.
Frequently asked questions
At the time of writing (February 2025), storing your driving licence on your smartphone isn't possible - but it will be soon. The GOV.UK Wallet is set to be introduced in 2025 and will allow you to store and access a digital driving licence that can be used like a physical licence card.
Digital driving licences aren’t available yet. When they are, you’ll need to download the GOV.UK Wallet app and apply for a digital licence. Once your application has been processed, you’ll be able to access and use your licence from your smartphone.
Digital driving licences in the UK will be accessible via the GOV.UK Wallet app rather than existing Google or Apple Wallets.
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Ellie is FixMyCar's Content Manager. She has over three years of experience writing about cars and regularly collaborates with automotive experts to provide trustworthy advice for drivers that is easy understand. Her work has been featured in Yahoo! Finance, iNews, The Daily Express and The Sun. She has a BA in English literature and an MA in creative writing from Durham University. Outside of work, Ellie follows F1 and eagerly awaits Ferrari's next era of dominance in the sport. She drives a Suzuki Swift.