The UK government has begun private trials of a digital driving licence that can be stored in a new Gov.uk digital wallet inside the Gov.uk One Login app, according to a Government Digital Service (GDS) blog post.
GDS said testing began in December with staff at GDS and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), and that the credential will be rolled out more widely later this year.
The digital wallet initiative is part of a broader UK digital identity program that has faced scrutiny over security concerns tied to One Login and ongoing policy work on the UK digital identity trust framework.
In its post, GDS said digital ID checks rely on programmatic verification of security features, with a user’s consent, rather than visual inspection of physical document features.
GDS said it plans to enable digital verification service (DVS) providers to test how data from the digital driving licence can be shared with third parties ahead of wider rollout, supporting identity checks across public and private services.
The Veteran Card was the first credential to be issued through the wallet in a simplified form, and GDS said additional documents are planned.
Sources: UK Government Digital Service, Computer Weekly
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By Ali Nassar-Smith
