NT gov starts path to digital driver's licence

The Northern Territory government will offer digital driver’s licences “built to internationally recognised standards” by the end of the year.

In a statement, the government said it had introduced enabling legislation, in the form of the Motor Vehicles Amendment (Digital Licences) Bill 2026, to “establish the legal framework for eligible Territorians to carry and display a secure digital version of their driver licence on their smartphone.”

It will be optional for Territorians to take up, and will work when not in range of mobile data coverage.

Minister for corporate and digital development Joshua Burgoyne said that once available, the digital licence “will be able to be used to prove a person’s authority to drive, confirm they are over 18 and verify their identity in participating situations.”

The government added that Territorians will still “be encouraged to carry their physical card when travelling interstate or overseas while national cross-border recognition arrangements continue to develop.”