More than 4.5 million fully licenced Victorian drivers, motorcyclists and heavy vehicle operators will be the first eligible to download digital licences on their phones as part of a state-wide launch.

Work is underway to ensure businesses are ready to accept this new form of ID across their operations, with the Victorian Government releasing information for organisations that rely on photo identification – including bars, restaurants and retailers.

The rollout comes after rigorous privacy and security testing and a trial in Ballarat last year where more than 15,000 citizens accessed their digital licences via the myVicRoads and Service Victoria apps.

The digital licences will contain dynamic hologram and a timed QR code that businesses and authorities can scan to verify authenticity and prevent fraudulent use. Information on them can also be updated in real-time if there are changes to licence conditions or personal information like home addresses.

Information for business

If your business or organisation checks licences, you may get people showing you their phone instead of a card.

The most secure way to check a digital driver licence will be to scan the QR code using the Service Victoria or myVicRoads apps, which businesses will need to download.

The QR codes can be scanned to:

• Check a full driver licence: This shows you info about a person’s right to drive. People will share this info when they need to show licence status, classes, or restrictions.
• Confirm someone’s basic ID details: This is a person’s basic ID info — their name and address.
• Check a person is over 18: A proof of age check confirms that someone is over 18. This won’t show their exact age or date of birth.

Information comes straight from official driver licence records. The digital licence shows you when the app last pulled info from the Victorian Licensing Registry.

More information

Victorians who have downloaded either the VicRoads or Services Victoria app will automatically receive their digital licence through their app once it has been processed in May and will be alerted either by push notification or email.

Learners and probationary licence holders will be able to access their digital licence by 2025.

More information, including what to look for when checking a digital driver licence, is available via Service Victoria before and after the rollout.