Full recognition of digital driver licenses | NSW Parliamentary Counsel’s Office

This Act amends the Road Transport Act 2013 to give digital driver licences the same status as physical driver licence cards. The Act also amends the Licensing and Registration (Uniform Procedures) Act 2002 to provide for the use and sharing of certain information by licensing authorities.

A digital driver licence is an electronic document that may be displayed on a mobile phone or other electronic device. The Act amends the Road Transport Act 2013 so that a person can now use a digital driver licence in the same way as a physical driver licence card. This means a person may display a digital driver licence rather than a physical driver licence card to satisfy a requirement under the Road Transport Act 2013 or another Act or law, to hold, produce or display a driver licence.

The Act also amends the Licensing and Registration (Uniform Procedures) Act 2002 to permit licencing authorities and related service providers to enter into information sharing arrangements with each other to share certain information. The objective of an information sharing arrangement is to avoid requiring an existing licence holder to resupply information (such as contact information and a photograph) when applying to another licencing authority for a new licence. The applicant must consent to the sharing of information under an information sharing arrangement.

The Act passed Parliament on 13 October 2020.

Link: Road Transport Amendment (Digital Licensing) Act 2020.

Instructor:

Department of Customer Service

Drafter:

Richard Hurford, Deputy Parliamentary Counsel

Full recognition of digital driver licences