Major change to be made to ID for 50 MILLION Brits in months – it’ll change how you buy booze, fly on planes and vote
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A HUGE change to driving licences is set to be implemented within months, affecting 50 million Brits. Driving licences will be digitalised and accessible on mobile phones in a bid to "drag the government into the 2020s". The switch from plastic card to app aims to make buying alcohol, voting and boarding domestic flights more straightforward.
![[UK provisional and full driving licences.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/uk-driving-licence-provisional-full-931510335.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Drivers will still be issued provisional and full photocard driving licences and the digital version is voluntary. The Gov.uk app, developed by the Department of Science and Technology, is launching this year. The plans are set to be revealed by MPs next week at an event in central London.
Following in the footsteps of Australia, Iceland, Denmark and Norway, the digital driving licence will only be available in a wallet on the app and not accessible through Google or Apple wallets. Developers are toying with the idea of users being able to hide their address on the licence for privacy reasons.
Supermarkets could link the licence with self-checkout technology so customers can be ID checked for buying booze without waiting for staff. The Department of Science and Technology is also exploring ways to integrate other services into the app, including paying taxes, proving the right to work and claiming benefits.
The app will also work in airports for passengers flying within the UK, meaning they won't need to show physical ID documents like a passport or licence. A source told The Times: “This is not about replacing the photocard but giving people the option of having their licence on their phone and allowing them a new way to prove their identity and age.
