Service NSW begins offering digital rego certificates

NSW motorists can use a digital vehicle registration certificate and receive renewal reminders as push notifications through their Service NSW online accounts.

The digital vehicle registration service digitises the registration process end-to-end for the first time, allowing vehicle owners across the state to do away with paper records.

Until now, drivers were able to renew their registration online, but had no option to choose a digital certificate of registration.

Announcing the service, customer services and digital government minister Victor Dominello said paper records currently act as a barrier to registration renewals.

“Around 16 percent of registrations are not renewed on time due to paperwork being damaged, misplaced or simply stuck on the fridge and forgotten about,” he said.

“Through the new service, motorists can opt-in to get electronic reminder notices and access their digital certificate of registration through their MyServiceNSW account.”

Digitising renewal reminders is also expected to help reduce the 7.2 million paper renewal notices sent by Transport for NSW each year.

When it is time for renewal, drivers will receive a notice six weeks and two weeks before their registration expires and one day after.

Metropolitan roads minister Natalie Ward added that the service had been piloted with more than 1000 vehicles, with 95 percent happy with the digital process.

The government, through the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, is also working to develop a digital birth certificate that is expected to be used across Australia.

Service NSW is also planning to bring a greater number of credentials to its app over the coming years, having revealed plans for a digital wallet and digital identity hub.

In December, the government set aside $8.9 million to begin work on the digital wallet, with at least some of this funding to go towards a commercial credential exchange.

The digital vehicle registration service was jointly funded through the government’s $2.1 billion digital restart fund and by Transport for NSW.