Queenslanders will soon be able to ditch their physical driver licence for a digital version carried on their smartphone device.
Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads confirmed that the government would proceed with a plan to roll-out digital driver licences across the state, Courier-Mail’s Jack McKay reported on Friday.
The decision comes after a successful trial of the technology last year with more than 750 participants, of which 94% of them reported being ‘satisfied’ with the digital drivers licence.
A Department of Transport and Main Roads spokesman told the Courier-Mail that a digital version of an identification card and recreational marine licence will also be available as well.
“The digital licence app includes security and privacy features designed to protect data against cybercrime and theft,” they said.
There is no set date for when the full scheme will be rolled out.
How the Queensland digital driver licence works
The Queensland Government passed legislation in July 2020 that made their digital licence the “legal equivalent” of the physical license.
People who sign up for the scheme can download an app that ‘holds’ their digital driver licence, which is protected by a security code or a password.
Users can also limit what information is shown when they display their license. For example, a licence-holder may choose to remove their physical address when showing identification to prove their age.
The digital licence is encrypted and users are able to remotely remove access to the digital license app if they lose their device.
New South Wales and South Australia already have digital driver licence schemes that have been effectively rolled out, barring a few technical hiccups.
But don’t worry: for those people who choose to remain analogue, there are no plans to use the digital driver licence scheme to replace the physical ones all together.