Photo: UK.GOV
The U.K. government committed to a GOV.UK Wallet app that will let users leave their physical driver’s license at home. An iPhone or Android will be all that’s needed.
The same digital ID can be used as proof of age when buying alcohol.
GOV.UK Wallet holds the only driver’s license needed
Apple put itself at the forefront of the move to digital wallets. Our phones are close to supplanting the need for cash and physical credit cards, but a driver’s license is another story. But he U.K. just took a big step toward eliminating the need for that particular plastic card.
“Digital documents held in the GOV.UK Wallet, like a driver’s license or someone’s proof of benefits, will be able to be used just as physical documents are,” it announced on Tuesday.
The plan is to pilot the digital driver’s license later in 2025. The same app will hold a Digital Veteran Card also coming later in the year, as well as DBS checks and every other credential issued by the government.
The virtual cards will go into an application offered by the U.K. government. They can’t go into the Apple Wallet, as do digital driver’s licenses now offered by many U.S. states. Apparently, the intent is to control access via a GOV.UK One Login, not Apple’s own Face ID or Touch ID..
This is part of the U.K.’s blueprint for digital government under which all services must offer a digital alternative alongside paper or card credentials by the end of 2027.
Note that the digital license is an option. Those who still want a physical card will be able to get one.
And a GOV.UK app, too
The U.K. government also unveiled plans to offer a mobile application intended to make it easier to access services like applying for childcare or reporting a lost passport.
“When people first open the government’s new app this summer, they will be able to build a personalised homepage of the services most useful to them by answering a handful of simple questions,” promised the government. “For example, if you own a car, you can opt to see information about getting an MOT or applying for road tax.”
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