A 'full rollout' of the UK digital driving licence will begin later this year, the UK Government has confirmed, with millions of motorists set to access their ID through the GOV.UK Wallet rather than relying solely on a plastic card. Heidi Alexander, the UK transport secretary, said the digital driving licence system, first announced in January last year, would be available nationwide in 2026, hailing it as a 'game changer' for people who routinely use their licence as proof of identity.
Ministers under the previous government began testing digital identity documents within the GOV.UK App as part of a wider shift towards online public services. The GOV.UK Wallet, as the new platform is known, is designed to store official documents virtually on a smartphone, allowing users to prove who they are, verify eligibility for state support or demonstrate their driving entitlement without producing the familiar photocard. The Labour Party, now in power, has opted not only to keep the programme but to accelerate it into a full national rollout.
