If you live in New South Wales and are a user of the Service NSW app, then I’ve got some good news for you this morning – digital drivers licences are now live, for everyone in NSW.
For all drivers licence holders, the function allows you to carry your licence with you in digital form, meaning you can leave your wallet behind.
Setting up the digital drivers licence is easy. If you’ve already got a Service NSW account, then link your drivers licence (if it isn’t already) and it’ll pop up.
For new users, you’ll need to create a Service NSW account first, and then link your Roads and Maritime profile. Sounds messy, but it really isn’t – the app will guide you through the entire process.
Worried about security? You needn’t be. Your licence data is protected by a PIN number and – optionally – biometric authentication such as a fingerprint or facial recognition (depending on your phone hardware).
You can use your NSW Digital Drivers Licence just about anywhere you’d use your regular licence. If you’re stopped by NSW Police, you can use your digital licence to prove your identity (once you’ve stopped driving of course). You can also use the digital licence as proof of age to enter many clubs, pubs, etc.
There’s a few tips to make sure you can use your NSW Digital Drivers Licence safely, though:
- Always make sure your phone is charged if you’re not going to carry the plastic card – if you can’t show your licence because your phone’s flat, you might as well not be carrying it.
- Don’t access your digital drivers licence while driving – only use your phone when safely stopped and it is otherwise legal to do so.
- Some organisations might not accept digital drivers licences yet – keep your plastic card handy just in case.
- Lost your phone? Your licence is secured by your phone’s PIN, the Service NSW PIN, and potentially biometric auth as well. Report your lost phone to police just to be safe.
Have you downloaded your digital drivers licence yet? They’re available on both Android and iOS in the Service NSW app.
Thankfully mine worked in 5minutes… my mum, on the other hand, is been refreshing for the last hour and a half
Being that this is now in digital form and I assume the licence will be scanned with the QR code, wondering if government agencies will tap into this data to get demographics on citizens’ movements in clubs or being pulled over, etc. Also does this mean scanners in bars/clubs will be replaced by a ‘govt issued’ scanner, and does that mean that the data which was once captured by (i assume) 3rd party scanners is now captured only by govt scanners which means the data has moved away from 3rd parties and soley in the hands of govt agencies? Just… Read more »
Wherever there is mass data, there’s someone wanting to analyse it. The problem with digital ID is that it leaves a trace whenever you use it. Most clubs don’t scan your old ID card, they just look at it. But this new system they will need to scan it, otherwise it would be too easy to fake.
Nice, great that NSW is leading the way.
Now, if I can just get past the ‘We’re a little busy’ message during the process, I’ll be happy as Larry.
opening you phone like that allows police to access your phone as its like consenting them to search your phone
Actually no it isn’t anything like that.
Woohoo
Tried about 50 times to setup and it keeps erroring out.
Same for me. Getting message: ‘We’re a little busy. Many people are loading their digital licences right now’
I guess they didn’t expect so many people to be interested.
Will be nice when it works.
Yeah the service is getting smashed at the moment with all the people signing up. It’ll come good.