Digital Driving Licence UK: What It Is and How to Get One

If you've seen headlines about a digital driving licence UK drivers can carry on their phone, you're not imagining things, but you're also not looking at anything finished yet. The government has been building this for a while, and it's now moving from a small internal test into something the public can actually use. Here's what's genuinely live, what's still coming, and what it means for the card in your wallet.

The short version: your driving licence is going digital alongside your physical photocard, not instead of it. Nothing about this changes what you need to check before you buy or sell a car, or how you tax and MOT your vehicle - it's purely about how you prove who you are and what you're entitled to drive.

What the digital driving licence actually is

The digital driving licence sits inside the GOV.UK Wallet, a feature of the GOV.UK One Login app. It's designed to hold the same information as your plastic card, your photo, name, date of birth, address, licence number, expiry date and driving entitlements, in a secure, government-verified format on your phone.

This isn't a private app doing its own thing. According to GOV.UK, the Wallet lets you securely save a digital version of a document such as a driving licence, and government services can use that information to confirm things about you once you choose to share it.

Where it fits into the wider GOV.UK Wallet plan

The driving licence isn't the only document heading this way. The Wallet launched with a digital Veteran Card, with the driving licence following as the next credential to be added. The stated ambition, set out by the Government Digital Service, is for the Wallet to eventually hold everything from DBS checks to other proofs of entitlement, with government services required to offer a digital option alongside paper or card credentials by the end of 2027.

The rollout so far, and what's still to come

The GOV.UK Wallet was first announced in January 2025. Private testing of the digital driving licence itself began with Government Digital Service and DVLA staff towards the end of 2025, allowing developers to work through issues before opening things up more widely. A broader public pilot followed in early 2026, letting more drivers start adding their licence to the GOV.UK One Login app.

Two things are worth being clear about:

• This is still a phased rollout. Coverage and functionality are expanding gradually, not switching on everywhere at once.
• Your physical photocard isn't going anywhere soon. It remains a valid, legally recognised form of your licence, and there's no indication it will stop being issued in the near future.

Is it compulsory?

No. The digital licence is entirely optional. You can carry the plastic card, use the digital version, or do both, whichever suits you. If you'd rather stick with the card you've always had, that remains perfectly acceptable.

How to set it up

The process runs through the GOV.UK One Login app, available for iOS and Android. Broadly, it involves:

• Downloading the GOV.UK One Login app and creating or signing in to your account.
• Verifying your identity, typically by scanning your existing photocard or passport and completing a facial recognition check.
• Adding the driving licence credential to your GOV.UK Wallet once it's confirmed and available for your account.

Security is built around the same kind of protections used for contactless payments and mobile banking, including biometric checks and encryption, so that a lost or stolen phone doesn't automatically mean a compromised licence.

What you can actually use it for

The point of the digital licence is convenience for identity checks, not replacing every function of the physical document overnight. Realistically, it's aimed at situations like:

• Proving your age when buying alcohol, DIY tools or other restricted items, in person or online.
• Confirming your identity for certain government services.
• In time, demonstrating your driving entitlement in situations that currently require the paper counterpart or photocard.

Where it doesn't help yet

Acceptance is still catching up with the technology. Plenty of organisations, including some car hire firms, insurers and international border checks, aren't yet set up to accept a digital-only licence, so it's sensible to keep your physical card to hand rather than relying on your phone alone, particularly if you're travelling abroad or dealing with anyone unfamiliar with the system.

What this doesn't change for car buyers and sellers

It's worth being clear about what the digital driving licence is not. It's an identity and entitlement document, nothing to do with the vehicle itself. If you're buying, selling or simply keeping tabs on a car, you'll still want to check the basics independently.

Our reg lookup tool lets you enter a number plate and see the car's MOT history and tax status straight from official records, along with a free indicative valuation. It's a different job entirely from proving who you are, and it doesn't check for outstanding finance, insurance write-offs or previous keepers; for that kind of full history check, you'd need a specialist HPI provider.

If you're planning to fund a car through finance rather than buying outright, you'll still need to prove your identity as part of that process, digitally or otherwise. MotifyMe can introduce you to car finance options if that's useful, though any agreement remains subject to status and affordability, and it's Presto Finance Ltd, not MotifyMe, that actually arranges lending.

Practical things to keep in mind

Keep your physical card current regardless

Whatever you decide about the digital option, your plastic photocard still needs to be kept up to date, renewed when it expires, and updated if your address or name changes. None of that changes with the digital rollout.

Don't assume it's accepted everywhere

Until coverage is much wider, treat the digital licence as a backup or convenience rather than your only form of ID when driving, hiring a vehicle or dealing with the police.

Check what's actually live before you rely on it

Because this is rolling out in stages, what's available to you personally may lag behind the headlines. If you want to explore more on buying, running or financing a car sensibly while all this beds in, our buying guides cover the practical side that hasn't changed.

The bottom line

The digital driving licence is a genuine, government-backed development, not a gimmick, but it's arriving gradually rather than all at once. For now, treat it as an optional extra sitting alongside your physical card rather than a replacement for it. Keep your plastic licence current, don't assume digital-only will be accepted everywhere just yet, and check the official guidance if you want to know exactly what's live in your situation.

Rollout dates and what the digital licence can be used for are still being expanded in stages, so check the current position on the GOV.UK Wallet guidance before relying on it in place of your physical photocard.