By Sarah Clark
The UK government plans to introduce a mobile app that motorists will be able to use to store a digital version of their driving licence on their smartphone, the BBC reports.
“The Gov.uk app, which is set to arrive this year, would securely store licence details and allow them to be used as a form of ID for buying age-restricted products, including alcohol, voting or travelling on domestic flights,” the BBC says.
“The app will allow customers at self service checkouts to verify their own age, eliminating the need to wait for a member of staff and would mean driving licence information could be updated digitally. It would allow motorists to present their driving licence when required without carrying the physical card with them, eliminating the risk of it being lost or damaged.”
The news follows the announcement last month that the UK government is to bring in new legislation this year that will grant legal status to digital IDs, paving the way “for certified digital identities to be added to the list of accepted age verification methods, alongside traditional forms like passports and driving licences.”
- Editor’s Note: Science Secretary Peter Kyle officially launched the new service on 21 January. As well as the initial drivers license launch later this year, all government services will be required to offer a digital alternative alongside paper or card credentials by the end of 2027, he revealed.
