Digital driver's licences come to Sydney

The first metro trial of the NSW government’s digital driver’s licence has kicked off in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.

More than 140,000 drivers from the Eastern Beaches region are now eligible to take part in the next stage of the electronic vehicle licence trial through the Service NSW app.

Eligible suburbs include Bondi Junction, Bronte, Waverley, Bondi, Tamarama, Randwick, Clovelly and Coogee.

The metro trial follows a regional pilot of the technology in the central west city of Dubbo that began late last year.

The opt-in digital driver’s licence can be used for as proof of identity and proof of age for gaining entry to pubs and clubs, as well as police checks in the trial area.

However individuals will still be required to carry physical driver’s licences during the trial.

This is despite already passing legislation that requires citizens to ensure they can produce either a digital or physical version of their licence when requested to do so by police was passed.

Finance minister Victor Dominello said the state was adopting the “cutting edge technology so that drivers can use a digital licence in everyday scenarios”.

“The DDL is hosted securely on the new Service NSW app, locks with a PIN and can be accessed offline. It will provide additional levels of security and protection against identity fraud, compared to the plastic driver licence,” he said.

One component underpinning the digital driver's licence is a blockchain platform called TrustGrid developed by Australian firm Secure Logic.

Digital driver’s licences and digital photo cards are expected to be rolled out state-wide by the end of next year.