Potential change to driving licences

Experts are speculating that in 2025, we could see the introduction of a digital licence alternative
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UK motorists have been alerted to a potential major shift in how they carry their driving licences.. Experts are speculating that in 2025, we could see the introduction of a digital licence alternative.

The DVLA's 2024/25 Business Plan includes the rollout of a new digital service aimed at short-term vehicle use, such as hiring a car. They explained: "This year, we will introduce a new 'Share my licence' service through the account.

"This will allow customers to generate a share code, which can be used for a variety of purposes including to confirm licence information for car hire companies."

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With this proposed system, drivers needing temporary access to a vehicle would simply scan a unique code to swiftly share their licence details. This information would likely include a driver's penalty points, any past disqualifications, and the categories of vehicles they are permitted to drive.

Consequently, businesses like car rental firms will benefit from being able to verify a driver's safety and licence validity much more quickly. In a blog post, the British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association (BVRLA) highlighted that the change is unable to take place under current legislation, but it may be updated soon.

They stated: "A digital driving licence is not currently valid in the UK. One cannot be presented solely as a proof of somebody’s driving entitlement.

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"There is nothing within the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic at Annexes 6 or 7 about the validity of a digital permit, nor is there anything within other pertinent legislation."

Whilst fully digitised driving licences have yet to be introduced in the UK, there are a number of countries that allow motorists to store their details on their phone. The first country to introduce the idea was Norway in 2019, with residents able to request a digital version of their licence by downloading a smartphone app.

However, digital driving licences are also widely used in countries including Denmark, Iceland, and several states in America.