UK Announces Digital Wallet for IDs and Driver's Licenses

The UK government today announced plans for a digital wallet that will house digital driver's licenses. It is not yet clear if the digital wallet that the UK government has planned will integrate with Apple Wallet, but UK users will be able to access their driver's licenses through a GOV.UK app on the iPhone when the initiative launches.

uk wallet app
The digital driver's license will allow users to prove their age when purchasing age-restricted items, and it will serve as proof of the right to drive. Personal information will be protected with Face ID or Touch ID for security even if a device is lost.

Along with driver's licenses, the UK digital wallet will eventually include veteran cards, DBS checks, and other documents issued by the government, but traditional physical documents will also remain available.

The UK digital wallet app is launching alongside a GOV.UK app that will feature a built-in "GOV.UK Chat" chatbot that is being created in partnership with OpenAI, and the chat service is already being tested. The chatbot will let UK residents make payments and receive notifications and reminders about government services.

In the United States, Apple has partnered with several states to bring digital driver's licenses and ID cards to the Wallet app on the ‌iPhone‌ and Apple Watch. Digital IDs are available in nine states, as well as Puerto Rico. At least six additional states have pledged future support for the functionality.

Popular Stories

iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Thursday January 15, 2026 10:56 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another eight months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of January 2026: The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

These 5 Apple Products Will Reportedly Be Upgraded With OLED Displays

Friday January 16, 2026 7:07 pm PST by
Apple plans to upgrade the iPad mini, MacBook Pro, iPad Air, iMac, and MacBook Air with OLED displays between 2026 and 2028, according to DigiTimes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that the iPad mini and MacBook Pro will receive an OLED display as early as this year, but he does not expect the MacBook Air to adopt the technology until 2028 at the earliest. A new iPad Air is...
iOS 27 Mock Quick

iOS 27 Will Add These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday January 18, 2026 3:51 pm PST by
iOS 27 is still many months away, but there are already plenty of rumors about new features that will be included in the software update. The first beta of iOS 27 will be released during WWDC 2026 in June, and the update should be released to all users with a compatible iPhone in September. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense...
Apple Wallet ID Illinois

Apple Plans to Expand iPhone Driver's Licenses to These 7 U.S. States

Friday January 16, 2026 12:12 pm PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

MacBook Pro Buyers Now Facing Up to a Two-Month Wait Ahead of New Models

Sunday January 18, 2026 6:50 pm PST by
MacBook Pro availability is tightening on Apple's online store, with select configurations facing up to a two-month delivery timeframe in the United States. A few 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro configurations with an M4 Pro chip are not facing any shipping delay, but estimated delivery dates for many configurations with an M4 Max chip range from February 6 to February 24 or even later. At...

Top Rated Comments

jlwarlow Avatar
13 months ago
Again the UK gov investing tax payers money duplicating ID wallet already available on iPhone and Android ?‍♂️ Why not use the wallets already out there and add driving license to those like some US states already have?
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fivenotrump Avatar
13 months ago
or 'Driving Licence' as we say over here
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cupcakes2000 Avatar
13 months ago

Backdoor way to introduce a mandatory ID card.
Hardly. They would just introduce a mandatory id card if that’s what they wanted to do.


It isn't yet? Here in Germany everyone needs to have an ID or passport
You don’t need to carry ID in the UK. You don’t need to carry your driving licence either, even if driving. You have to produce it at a police station if pulled over and asked and you don’t have it though. And of course they know who you are anyway, from your license plate and insurance docs which must be carried.

*edit* not insurance docs either, I was mistaken
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sjdigital Avatar
13 months ago

and insurance docs which must be carried.
Since when? First I’ve heard of it.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
McKodiak Avatar
13 months ago

Again the UK gov investing tax payers money duplicating ID wallet already available on iPhone and Android ?‍♂️ Why not use the wallets already out there and add driving license to those like some US states already have?
I'm hoping this is similar to concert tickets where you have the ticketing app where you can access your tickets but you have the option to add to your apple wallet.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
blahsua Avatar
13 months ago
Welcome to 2019 from your friends in Sydney, Australia; where we've had most of our state licences digital for a while.



The law was updated to reflect most, if not all, scenarios such as broken screens, flat batteries, and how to interact with police (they only have to sight it - not allowed to touch your phone).

https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/pdf/asmade/act-2020-27

On an Australian federal level, state digital licences are an acceptable form of ID with no discrimination between that and the the physical form.

Attachment Image
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)