In the future, drivers in the United Kingdom may be able to store their driver's licenses digitally in Apple's Wallet app, bringing Apple one step closer to fully replacing the traditional physical wallet.

Oliver Morley, CEO of the UK's Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, showed off a prototype version of a digital driving license on Twitter this morning (via The Independent). In the image, the Wallet app on the iPhone was shown with a virtual copy of a UK driving license, stored right next to other Wallet cards.

passbookdrivinglicenseuk


According to Morley, the feature is still a prototype and will not serve as a full replacement for a driving license, but an add-on, with its implementation possible following the discontinuation of a paper driving license counterpart in June of 2015. Security is one of the main priorities for the introduction of the digital driving license in the UK.

Should the digital driving license feature be introduced in the United Kingdom, it's not a stretch to imagine it also being introduced in additional countries like the United States as the digital wallet concept grows in popularity. In fact, at least one state in the United States is already testing the idea - in 2014, Iowa said it was working on a digital app that would allow customers to use digital ID cards instead of physical cards.

Tags: DVLA, Wallet

Top Rated Comments

garirry Avatar
124 months ago
I think it's awesome, as long as paper licenses still exist and people can place them somewhere safe in case the iPhone battery dies or something.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Phil A. Avatar
124 months ago
Fantastic news, and as you say, one step closer.

I currently leave the office on occasion to lunch without my wallet (all good except for damn you, Sainsbury's), using Apple Pay on my watch as my preferred payment method. I'll soon be able to go for a drive without it too.
I often drive without my license on me - there's no legal requirement to carry one in the UK: If you get stopped you have 7 days to produce it at a police station.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zahuh Avatar
124 months ago
Love it! If anyone from Apple reads this, please also add school/faculty IDs. Can't wait to get rid of my physical wallet.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Boatboy24 Avatar
124 months ago
It'll be another 50 years before a US State adopts something this advanced. :rolleyes:
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ipedro Avatar
124 months ago
('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/05/13/uk-digital-driving-license-wallet/')


In the future, drivers in the United Kingdom may be able to store their driver's licenses digitally in Apple's Wallet app, bringing Apple one step closer to fully replacing the traditional physical wallet.

Oliver Morley, CEO of the UK's Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, showed off a prototype version of a digital driving license on Twitter ('https://twitter.com/omorley1/status/731110689939587072') this morning (via The Independent ('http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/driving-licence-could-be-added-to-apple-wallet-turning-drivers-iphone-into-an-id-a7028346.html')). In the image, the Wallet app on the iPhone was shown with a virtual copy of a UK driving license, stored right next to other Wallet cards.




According to Morley, the feature is still a prototype and will not serve as a full replacement for a driving license, but an add-on, with its implementation possible following the discontinuation ('https://www.gov.uk/government/news/driving-licence-changes') of a paper driving license counterpart in June of 2015. Security is one of the main priorities for the introduction of the digital driving license in the UK.

Should the digital driving license feature be introduced in the United Kingdom, it's not a stretch to imagine it also being introduced in additional countries like the United States as the digital wallet concept grows in popularity. In fact, at least one state in the United States is already testing the idea - in 2014, Iowa said it was working on a digital app ('https://www.macrumors.com/2014/12/11/smartphone-drivers-licenses-iowa/') that would allow customers to use digital ID cards instead of physical cards.

Article Link: UK Developing Digital Driving License Stored in Apple Wallet App ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/05/13/uk-digital-driving-license-wallet/')
Government ID: the final frontier.

There are several ways to ensure that digital IDs aren't tampered with and not simply photoshopped copies. Have the data such as photo and information on a government server. When an official like a traffic cop requests your ID, you show it to them, they scan a randomized QR code that then independently downloads the ID to their own device. If the two don't match perfectly, it's a fake.

This could end up being more secure than physical drivers licenses and end the fake ID market once and for all.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hlfway2anywhere Avatar
124 months ago
Not to go all conspiracy theorist here but in the US, I believe you are required to produce identification is requested from the authorities. BUT, if it is in a phone that you must unlock to show them and another physical form does not exist, then it will be pretty hard to say, "yea, i forgot my password so you can't get into my phone." But, I also am guessing if you are in that situation, you'll just give the finger to anyone and everyone at that point just in case.
you don't need to unlock the phone to access Wallet.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
ios 26 1 slide to stop

iOS 26.1 Brings Back 2007 Feature in New Way

Friday October 31, 2025 1:40 pm PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a small but helpful change for iPhones, and it could prevent you from running late to something important. Specifically, when an alarm goes off in the Clock app, there is a new "slide to stop" control on the screen for turning off the alarm. On previous iOS 26 versions, there is simply a large "stop" button, which could be accidentally tapped. The new ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
M5 MacBook Pro

Waiting for New Macs? Apple Just Shared Bad News

Friday October 31, 2025 7:32 am PDT by
Apple has just given a strong indication that it will not be releasing any additional new Macs for the remainder of the year. Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh dropped the hint during the company's earnings call on Thursday:On Mac, keep in mind, we expect to face a very difficult compare against the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac launches in the year-ago quarter.Parekh essentially gave a heads up ...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
maxresdefault

Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...
ipad mini 7 feature blue

OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Wednesday October 29, 2025 7:13 am PDT by
Rumors are stoking excitement for the next-generation iPad mini that Apple is reportedly close to launching. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over a year ago? Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 Release Candidates

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:07 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The RCs betas come a week after Apple released the fourth betas. The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software...
apple tv hd

Apple Launched Its Big New Vision for TV 10 Years Ago Today

Thursday October 30, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
Apple launched the Apple TV HD, the Siri Remote, tvOS, and their accompanying App Store a decade ago today, marking a major overhaul of the device. The new vision for the Apple TV was unveiled on September 9, 2015 during Apple's "Hey Siri" event in San Francisco, where CEO Tim Cook introduced the device with the statement, "The future of TV is apps." The announcement represented a major...