NSW Begins Digital Driver Licence Upgrade With Face Verification and Consent-Based Sharing

Service NSW has begun a limited upgrade of its Digital Driver Licence that adds stronger identity verification and consent-based sharing of licence details, with early access focused on selected residents in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains.

Residents in participating areas can register their interest and receive an invitation when an upgrade becomes available to them. Invitations are being sent progressively, and registering does not immediately change the licence. Service NSW plans to expand access across the state later this year after testing and refining the initial release.

To upgrade, eligible users follow prompts in the Service NSW app, provide three identity documents and complete a face-verification check. People who already have a NSW Digital ID can skip entering their identity documents during that step. The agency says the higher-standard identity check is intended to make unauthorized access to a digital licence more difficult.

The upgraded credential also introduces a new way to share verified information. A person or organization can request licence details using a QR code, and the holder can accept or decline. Depending on the interaction, the holder either displays a code or scans the requester’s code. Only information the holder approves is shared.

A verifier using the latest Service NSW app selects the licence-checking function and scans the holder’s QR code. Approved information then appears on the verifier’s screen. The process does not require the licence holder to hand over their phone or provide a photocopy.

Service NSW lists Panthers Penrith Rugby Leagues Club as a venue currently able to accept the upgraded licence. It also plans to introduce features over time that would let holders prove they are over 18 without revealing their date of birth, address or other personal details.

The upgrade builds on NSW’s document-and-selfie approach to digital identity verification. The NSW Digital ID supports selected government online transactions, while the Digital Driver Licence is the phone-based version of a driver’s licence; they serve different purposes within the same service ecosystem.

NSW has separately introduced a digital birth certificate for eligible 16-to-21-year-olds. The new licence release adds another credential-sharing workflow to the Service NSW app. Residents who do not upgrade can continue using their existing Digital Driver Licence as they do today.

Sources: Service NSW

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By the ID Tech Editorial Team