Checking digital driver licences

All you need to know to check a Victorian digital driver licence

 

Digital driver licences are coming to Ballarat in July 2023. We’re rolling out a trial of these new licences before we release them across the state by 2024. If your business or organisation checks licences, you may get people showing you their phone instead of a card.

The good news is that checking digital licences is a quick, safe and simple way to get ID information when you need it. And you can trust the information because licence details come straight from the Victorian Licensing Registry.

Use these quick guides for licence checkers:

The most secure way to check a digital driver licence is to scan the QR code using the Service Victoria or myVicRoads app. If you plan to use the QR code to check digital licences, we encourage you to download the Service Victoria and VicRoads apps available from the Apple Store and Google Play.

An easy and secure way to check ID

A digital driver licence is a link between a person’s licensing record held on the Victorian Licensing Registry and their mobile device.

There are three levels of information you can check on a digital driver licence:

  • check a full driver licence
  • confirm someone’s identity, or
  • check that a person is over 18.

The digital licence shows you when the app last pulled information from the Victorian Licensing Registry, so you know what you're looking at is current. If it's not current you can ask the customer to refresh it so you know it’s up to date. 

How to check a digital driver licence 

To check a licence, ask the person to:  

  1. Pull down on their details screen to refresh
  2. Show you their photo
  3. Show you their licence number
  4. Show you the hologram
  5. Show you the QR code to scan if you need further verification.

The most secure way to check a digital driver licence is to scan the QR code. You can scan the code using the myVicRoads or Service Victoria app, depending on which one the customer is using. 

To scan a code, open the same app the customer is using (Service Victoria app or myVicRoads app) and line up your device to scan the code. If the licence is valid, you’ll see a message on your screen confirming the person’s details.

You don’t need to touch a person’s phone while checking a licence or scanning the QR code. Get them to tilt their screen towards you. They can enlarge the code by tapping on it if they need to. 

You can get the myVicRoads app and Service Victoria app from the Apple Store and Google Play. Always be sure to download the official versions of these apps.

 

What information can I see?

There are three levels of information that someone can share with their digital driver licence.

  1. Full licence: This is all the person’s licence information, like what’s on the front and back of the physical card. People will share this info when they need to show police things like licence status, classes, or restrictions.
  2. Identity: This view shows a person's full name, address and signature.
  3. Proof of age: A proof of age check confirms that someone is over 18. This won’t show their exact age or date of birth.

Is it secure? How do I know it’s a real licence?

When people refresh their licence, it updates straight from their Victorian Licensing Registry record. This means that when you scan a licence, you know the information is coming from a trusted source.

When you scan someone’s digital licence, you’ll see when they last refreshed their information. Even if someone has had their licence suspended you can still check they are over 18 or check their identity.

How does the QR code work?

The QR code connects to a person’s records every time the code gets refreshed. Each code is unique and lasts for 2 minutes. After that, a person needs to refresh again to update their information. This helps protect against fraud, so you know the information is valid.

How does the hologram work?

The Victorian Coat of Arms hologram on a digital licence is similar to the one on a plastic card. If a person tilts their phone back and forth, you’ll see the image move and shimmer.

Holograms add extra security, but you shouldn't rely on the hologram alone. If you want to do a quick check, using the hologram is fast and easy.

I scanned a licence and got an error screen. What do I do?

Sometimes you’ll get an error if the app can’t connect to a network or to a person’s information. If you try to scan again it should work. But if it doesn't you can check a person's physical licence or use another form of ID.

Other messages will tell you if the licence isn’t valid, or if the QR code doesn’t look right. In that case, you can check a person’s physical licence or use other ways to identify them.

What if I’m still not sure a digital licence is valid?

You can always ask someone to see their physical driver licence card or another form of ID.

What if I need a copy of someone’s licence?

Right now, there’s no way for someone to share a copy of their digital licence. You’ll need to copy or scan their physical licence like you would normally. You shouldn’t hold onto copies of customer details unless you really need to. Keeping copies of this information is a fraud risk.

We don’t recommend that anyone shares or accepts screen shots of digital driver licences.

What if there is no internet connection available?

You can ask to check the customer’s physical licence card instead.

What do I need to know when collecting customer data?

If you’re running a business, you need to protect your customers’ personal information. Find out what type of customer information is personal and how to protect it. For more information visit business.gov.au

More information

We'll continue to update this page during the pilot. If you're not in Ballarat, look out for announcements on the statewide release.

You can always contact us if you have any questions or feedback.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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