Photo: Chris.sherlock2, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
As of November 2026, digital driver licences are available in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. The NT expects to launch one by late 2026 and WA by the end of 2027. In every state that has one, it is optional and the plastic card is still issued. This guide covers which states have a digital licence, whether learners and P platers can use one, the phone rules for showing it to police, and when you should still carry the card.
Key facts
- Available: NSW (Service NSW app), Victoria (Service Victoria or myVicRoads app), Queensland (Digital Licence app), SA (mySAGOV app).
- Coming: NT (expected late 2026), WA (expected by the end of 2027, in the ServiceWA digital wallet).
- Tasmania and the ACT: carry your physical card, and check Service Tasmania or Access Canberra before relying on any digital licence.
- Learners can use it in Queensland, and Victorian learner and probationary licence holders have downloaded theirs.
- Only open the app when a police officer asks. NSW says accessing it while driving, even when stopped, is illegal unless police ask.
- Carry the card interstate and overseas. NSW advises this, and the card is your backup if your phone fails.
Which states have a digital driver licence?
| Jurisdiction | Status (November 2026) | App | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | Available, free | Service NSW app | Needs a MyServiceNSW Account linked to Roads. Apply after your licence card arrives. |
| Victoria | Available | Service Victoria or myVicRoads app | Has a timed QR code. Shows if a licence has been cancelled or suspended. |
| Queensland | Available | Queensland Digital Licence app | Covers learner, provisional and open licences. |
| SA | Available | mySAGOV app | A renewed licence’s expiry date updates in the app straight away. |
| WA | In development | ServiceWA digital wallet | Wallet trial planned for early 2027; licence expected by the end of 2027, subject to a trial from mid-2027. |
| NT | In development | Not yet named on the project page | Expected by late 2026. Optional, and the physical card stays. |
| Tasmania | Check Service Tasmania for the current position | Physical card | Carry your card. |
| ACT | Check Access Canberra for the current position | Physical card | Carry your card. |
Launch dates move. Check the transport department’s own page before you leave your card at home.
Can learners and P platers get a digital licence?
- Queensland: yes. The Digital Licence app is open to holders of a learner, provisional or open licence. Queensland’s learner rules let you carry either the physical card or the app and show it to police if asked. P2 drivers can do the same.
- Victoria: yes. In its first year, 323,000 learner and probationary licence holders downloaded the digital licence, according to the Victorian Government.
- NSW: the Road User Handbook says that once your licence card arrives, you can apply for a digital driver licence through your MyServiceNSW Account. On the day you pass your test, you get a temporary paper licence and the card is posted to you.
- SA: check eligibility for your permit or licence in the mySAGOV app.
Can I use my phone to show a digital licence while driving?
Only when police ask. This matters most on L and P plates, because most states ban learners and many P platers from using a phone at all while driving.
| Jurisdiction | Rule |
|---|---|
| NSW | All drivers, including learner, P1 and P2 drivers, can use a phone to show their digital driver licence when instructed by police. Accessing the digital licence while driving, including when stationary, is otherwise illegal, and penalties apply. |
| SA | The SA handbook says drivers may show identification on their phone, such as a digital driver’s licence, where they are required to. Learner and P1 drivers otherwise can’t use any phone function while driving. |
| Queensland | Tell the officer you have the app, and wait until they ask you to use your phone. You don’t hand your device over: the officer reads the screen or scans the credential. |
| Victoria | Check the current device rules for L and P platers before using a phone for any purpose in the car. See Victoria’s phone and device rules for L and P platers. |
Full phone rules: mobile phone rules for L and P platers in every state and NSW phone and screen rules for L and P platers.
Using a digital licence interstate
A digital licence is a version of your home state’s licence. Transport for NSW says to carry your plastic card if you plan to travel overseas or interstate, and as a backup. WA says its future digital licence is being built to globally recognised standards so it can be trusted across Australia and overseas.
The safe rule for new drivers:
- Driving interstate: take the card. Your licence conditions still follow you. See driving interstate on L or P plates.
- Travelling overseas: take the card, as NSW advises, and check the other country’s rules before you go.
- Proving your identity: a digital licence may not be accepted everywhere a card is. NSW notes that organisations may take time to be ready. For learner licence applications, see proof of identity for a learner licence.
Showing your licence to police: a checklist
- Keep your phone charged and the screen uncracked. The NSW handbook warns about both.
- Stay logged in. The NSW digital licence works offline as long as you stay logged in to the Service NSW app, but you need your PIN to open it.
- Pull over and stop when police direct you to.
- Wait to be asked before you touch the phone. Say that you have a digital licence.
- Don’t hand over the phone unless asked. In NSW and Queensland the officer checks the screen or scans the QR code.
- Carry the card as a backup. In NSW you can be fined for driving without your licence or refusing to show it.
Is a digital licence secure?
- NSW: protected by your phone’s security (PIN, fingerprint or face recognition) and the Service NSW app’s security. Report a lost phone to PoliceLink on 131 444.
- Victoria: accessed by PIN or biometrics, with a timed QR code that businesses and authorities scan to check it is genuine.
- Queensland: for age checks, the app can show your photo and confirm your age without showing your name or address.
Licence details update in real time in NSW and Victoria, so a renewal or change of address shows straight away.
Common questions
Do I still need to carry my plastic licence?
In NSW, Victoria, Queensland and SA, the digital licence is optional and the card is still issued. NSW recommends carrying the card as a backup and when travelling interstate or overseas. In WA, Tasmania, the ACT and the NT, carry the card.
Can I get a digital learner licence in NSW?
The NSW handbook says you can apply for a digital driver licence through your MyServiceNSW Account after your licence card arrives. Check in the Service NSW app whether your licence type is eligible.
Is a digital licence accepted at pubs and clubs?
In NSW, Transport for NSW says it is accepted by most pubs and clubs. Acceptance elsewhere depends on the business.
What if my phone dies when police pull me over?
You may not be able to show your licence, and in NSW you can be fined for not having it with you. Carry the card or keep your phone charged.
When will WA get a digital licence?
The WA Government expects it in the ServiceWA digital wallet by the end of 2027, subject to a trial from mid-2027.
Can I use a digital licence for my driving test?
Don’t rely on it. WA’s PDA booking page, for example, asks you to present your learner’s permit card or primary and secondary ID, or the test is cancelled. Check the test-day rules for your state: driving test day checklist for Australia.
Visiting from overseas? See driving in Australia on an overseas licence. National overview: the Australian Road Rules explained.
Sources
- Transport for NSW, “Road User Handbook”, Your driver licence card, Driving with the correct licence and mobile phone exemptions (nsw.gov.au)
- NSW Government, “NSW digital driver licence” (nsw.gov.au)
- Premier of Victoria, “Digital Driver Licences Hit One Year Milestone” (premier.vic.gov.au)
- Service Victoria, “Digital Driver Licence Announcement” (service.vic.gov.au)
- Queensland Government, “About the Digital Licence app”, “Using your Digital Licence app” and “Rules for learner driving” (qld.gov.au)
- Government of South Australia, “Renewing your driver’s licence” (sa.gov.au)
- Government of South Australia, “The Driver’s Handbook” (MR200, February 2026), Mobile phones (mylicence.sa.gov.au)
- Government of Western Australia, “ServiceWA app: Digital driver licence and digital wallet” (wa.gov.au)
- Northern Territory Department of Logistics and Infrastructure, “NT digital driver licence” (dli.nt.gov.au)
- Access Canberra, “Renew or replace your driver licence” (accesscanberra.act.gov.au)