The ACT was offered access to the NSW digital licence system at minimal cost five years ago but the territory instead chose to wait until national standards were agreed.
Deputy Chief Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said Digital Canberra was fast-tracking work on delivering a digital identification system.
Ms Stephen-Smith defended the time the ACT had taken to introduce digital licences while waiting for standards to be agreed, which has meant digital licences are still not available in the territory.
But the Liberals' Peter Cain said documents he had obtained under freedom-of-information laws showed NSW had offered in 2021 to share its digital driver's licence technology with the ACT at minimum cost.
"NSW had already built the technology for a digital driver's licence and was offering to share it at minimum cost," Mr Cain said in a statement.
"Instead of delivering, the ACT Labor government spent seven years holding meetings and writing business cases.
"People in Queanbeyan, just over the border, have had a digital driver's licence for years. Canberrans don't need more plans about plans. We need competence and a government that can deliver better services."
Ms Stephen-Smith said NSW would need to change its digital driver licence system to meet the new standards and ensure they would be accepted across state and territory borders.
"We were really firm that we didn't want to put ACT taxpayer money into implementing something that wasn't going to be accepted by police forces or others around the country, that was not in any way going to replace a physical driver licence," Ms Stephen-Smith said.
The minister said she had met with Digital Canberra on Wednesday and the directorate was "fast-tracking that work" on digital licences.
Ms Stephen-Smith said Digital Canberra's director-general, Christina Igasto, had come to the new ACT government directorate from Service NSW. Dr Igasto had been Service NSW's chief digital officer.
"She's very familiar with the work that they have done. That's a great source of information and advice for the ACT government as we fast-track that work through design and testing," Ms Stephen-Smith said.
Mr Cain said the documents he had obtained showed Access Canberra first met with Service NSW in July 2019 about digital driver licences, and NSW in 2021 made a formal offer to partner with the territory.
Mr Cain criticised the government's continuing inaction, endless meetings and briefs, and compared the handling of digital licences to the handling of a public transport ticketing upgrade that took years.
"If the minister suddenly reannounces a digital driver licence after seven years of delay and an ignored Assembly motion, why would Canberrans believe her?" he said.
The ACT government is due to report to the Legislative Assembly in December on a timeline for introducing digital licences and proof-of-age cards.
The latest territory budget included $1.7 million over two years for "work towards a digital driver licence for ACT residents".
"This includes the planning, design, development and community based-user testing of a functional prototype based on the national strategy and international standards," budget papers said.
