State’s new driver licence update leaves more states behind

Smartphones have become the Swiss Army knives of technology—from carrying everything from our calendars to our wallets, it's no surprise that digital driver licences are the next step in the evolution of convenience.

However, not all Australians are reaping the benefits of this modern marvel just yet.

As the latest updates roll out, millions are still in a waiting game, questioning when they can leave their physical cards at home.



Victoria recently joined the digital driver licence program on Monday, 13 May, with the program going live on Wednesday.

According to the spokesperson for the Victorian Government, ‘Around 200,000 Victorians have jumped on board and downloaded their digital licence on their phone within 48 hours of the state-wide launch.’


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Victoria is the latest state to release digital driver licence. Credit: Shutterstock



The Victorian Government also expressed excitement over the public's enthusiastic response, highlighting the readiness of over 4.5 million fully licensed drivers, motorcyclists, and heavy vehicle operators to embrace this change.

Eligible Victorians can access their digital driver licence after setting up their profile using the myVicRoads and Service Victoria apps.

Learners and P-platers will be able to transition to the digital alternative starting in 2025.

The digital license isn't just a static image of your physical card; it's a dynamic, real-time reflection of your driving status.



If your license is revoked or suspended, this will be immediately updated in the digital version.

The convenience extends to proof of identity, with police, businesses, and other authorities able to verify its authenticity through a timed QR code.

While Victoria celebrates this technological leap, the Northern Territory is gearing up for a pilot program set to commence in late 2025.

This leaves residents in the Australian Capital Territory, Western Australia, and Tasmania in anticipation as they have yet to access digital licenses.



In NSW, the uptake of digital licenses is impressive, with 4.5 million people—nearly 75 per cent of drivers—using the digital option via the Service NSW app.

South Australia, the pioneer in this initiative, launched its digital license scheme in 2017, setting a precedent for other states.

Queensland, not far behind, rolled out its digital licenses in October of the previous year, marking another step forward in the nationwide adoption of the technology.



However, the path to digitalisation is not without its bumps.

Tasmania is still exploring the option, with no clear timeline in sight.

WA has made progress by awarding a 16-month contract to local software developers GenVis to create a digital license system.

In the ACT, despite mounting calls for digital licenses, there are no immediate plans to unveil the technology.
Key Takeaways
  • Victoria has introduced digital driver licences, with hundreds of thousands of residents downloading it within 48 hours of the launch.
  • The Northern Territory is set to pilot digital licences in late 2025, leaving the ACT, WA, and Tasmania as the jurisdictions without the digital option currently.
  • The digital licence will show real-time status updates and can be used as proof of identity, with its authenticity verifiable by a timed QR code.
  • Efforts are underway in the remaining regions without digital licences to explore the option, but for some areas, it may be some time before they are available.
What are your thoughts on the digital driver license rollout? Have you made the switch, or are you still waiting? Share your experiences and concerns with us in the comments below.
 
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All good and well all this digital stuff, until your phone doesn't work, the systems go down or you get hacked 🤷‍♀️.
 
My son is most likely to be more intelligent than I; BUT he cannot do sums in his head as fast as I. He reaches for his mobile phone, types in the sum, and I have already given him the answer even if it is an approximation+\-10. As for fractions; what's that dad? Oh, 3/4=0.75, now my calculator can tell me what 3/4x3/4 comes to. Well, kid, I make it 9/16ths or close to 1/2 an inch (will 12mm do?).

He uses his excellent brain excellently, but to do simple sums with numbers.........I got into trouble with his school for not buying him a $50 maths calculator when he was about 8 years old. At eight years of age I knew my "tables' to the 12 times table, and at that age worked out from first principles just why 8x12=96. I could think in 1/4s, 1/2s, 12s , 20s, 24s, 30s, 60s and 21s (British currency from age 6, as could most kids of the day), and in the non-metric British units of weights and measures by age 8 .

We did not have calculators, and it was questionable whether I could take a slide rule into my O-level exams. We were expected to know our way round our book of trigonometric and logarithmic tables. The first "computers" were the blokes who worked out logarithms for the future log tables.
Calculators at 8 years of age - grade 3?? My children were still learning fundamentals of maths and definitely no calculators allowed until grade 6 and then only a basic one as an introduction. Scientific calculators were introduced year 7 along with algebra to prepare them for more advanced maths of high school. I am fairly sure this is still the case today.
 
Power went down, the girl in our local Chinese takeaway couldn't add up what we owed
I added it up for her and then she said "but how do I know that's right? Really??
Then she couldn't work out how much change to give me??
I took my $50 note back, left the food and walked out.
Talk about BS, what's she doing working in a shop when she can't add up.
Most of them can't.
 
Power went down, the girl in our local Chinese takeaway couldn't add up what we owed
I added it up for her and then she said "but how do I know that's right? Really??
Then she couldn't work out how much change to give me??
I took my $50 note back, left the food and walked out.
Talk about BS, what's she doing working in a shop when she can't add up.
Crazy. I mean what was the girl's answer to the problem in her lap. How did the shop intend to fix the issue.
Just as well you left with all money in tact, with power down, chance the tucker might have been cold as well :rolleyes:
 
The lady in the Chinese takeaway should have learnt & had at hand, an Abacus. Problem solved for her national.

Approx 40 years ago l bought 2 wire brushes from a hardware @ $1.99 each. The young lad wrote down $1.99 & $1.99 & came up with a total of $2.98. l think he may have just left high school.
 
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Hundred of thousand NSW driving licences were leaked during recent data breach so people had to replace them and I suspect it was not free of charge. In Victoria I tried to download Licence to my Apple Wallet - did not find such option. In order to show you licence you have to run app - and this is required internet connection. A rhetorical question - what is going to happened if policeman ask you for licence and you phone is discharged?
What I do not understand is why? Why did you go to all that trouble? Particularly when you have just outlined the many many disadvantages.
I went into a NSW service recently and people were in there complaining about their digital licences. But of course they were. Same question to them why?
 
Oh I agree - well I am not getting it - don't own a smart phone and not going to - too many issues around smart phones for us and we don't live our lives on the damn things!
I have a friend without an iphone or any mobile phone - it serves her well to remain this way. She gets by - and does not have to worry about leaks +++++
 
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I haven’t done it yet but I will download it to my phone. I have everything in my digital wallet. I rarely open my purse these days lol
Do you find it helpful ? - I mean seriously, is it so much better than a card (and I presume using cash)?
 
We lived in NSW when they became available but were told you still had to carry your physical licence.
Now in Qld I have the digital and the bloody thing wouldn't open so had to show my physical card.
I wonder whether they can scan the phone at a club?
Probably,
so .... why did you get the digital one?
 
Hundred of thousand NSW driving licences were leaked during recent data breach so people had to replace them and I suspect it was not free of charge. In Victoria I tried to download Licence to my Apple Wallet - did not find such option. In order to show you licence you have to run app - and this is required internet connection. A rhetorical question - what is going to happened if policeman ask you for licence and you phone is discharged?
I do not know, you can be fined if you do not have your licence on you
so ....
why do you have one ?
 
Probably,
so .... why did you get the digital one?
We had to go digital because they closed analogue down - digital itself is okay - it is the so called smart phones that are becoming a problem - as well as the apps people just must have.
 

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