DVLA issues new update for all drivers

Two driving licence cards stacked on top

The DVLA could introduce a new law that allows motorists to use a digital driving licence (Image: Getty)

Motorists across the UK have been warned that the could be making a huge change to the way they carry their .

The small plastic card is commonly carried around in wallets and purses, however some experts have predicted that a switch to a digital alternative may occur within 2025.

In their 2024/25 Business Plan, the announced that could be used for short-term vehicle usage, such as .

They explained: “This year, we will introduce a new ‘Share my ‘ service through the account.

“This will allow customers to generate a share code, which can be used for a variety of purposes including to confirm licence information for car hire companies.”

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View of a forecourt of a Europcar hire firm

The digital service could be used for short-term cover on vehicles such as hire cars (Image: Getty)

Under the proposed idea, drivers who wish to temporarily use a car will be able to scan a unique code to quickly share their licence information.

This would likely include the amount of points a motorist currently has, whether they have previously been disqualified from driving, and a list of the vehicles each driver is entitled to use.

As a result, firms such as hire car companies will be able to check whether a driver is safe behind the wheel and holds a valid licence at a much faster rate.

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Silver Toyota travelling beside a Norwegian fjord

Norway was the first country to introduce digital driving licences alongside physical cards (Image: Getty)

In a blog post, the British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association (BVRLA) highlighted that the change is unable to take place under current legislation, but it may be updated soon.

They stated: “A digital driving licence is not currently valid in the UK. One cannot be presented solely as a proof of somebody’s driving entitlement.

“There is nothing within the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic at Annexes 6 or 7 about the validity of a digital permit, nor is there anything within other pertinent legislation.”

Whilst fully digitised driving licences have yet to be introduced in the UK, there are a number of countries that allow motorists to store their details on their phone.

The first country to introduce the idea was Norway in 2019, with residents able to request a digital version of their licence by downloading a smartphone app.

However, digital driving licences are also widely used in countries including Denmark, Iceland, and several states in America.

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