Digital driving licence: what it means for identity verification now

TL;DR: The scrapping of a universal government digital ID does not alter the need for verified identity in right-to-work, right-to-rent, AML and age checks, because the digital driving licence and certified wallet-based services continue, according to OneID. The governance question is no longer whether identity proofing exists, but which regulated provider and assurance model firms trust.

Editorial analysis by NHI Mgmt Group, based on content published by OneID: “Is the digital driving licence still happening after the ID card was scrapped?”.

Key questions

Q: How should organisations assess an identity provider before relying on it for regulated digital identity transactions?

A: Organisations should verify that the provider has completed the relevant accreditation process, demonstrates strong controls for privacy, security, fraud prevention, risk management, and technical integrity, and can sustain those controls through ongoing assessments.

Q: Why does removing a central digital ID card not remove identity risk?

A: Because the risk sits in the verification process, not only in the card itself.

Q: What happens when a business asks for more identity data than it needs?

A: It increases privacy exposure, complicates compliance and creates more value in the data than the transaction requires.

Practitioner guidance

• Validate the identity proofing path Map each regulated use case to the specific assurance level and certified provider path it needs, then reject any flow that cannot evidence source trust, binding and revocation.
• Minimise disclosed attributes Require only the attribute needed for the transaction, such as age or right to work, and stop accepting full-document uploads where selective disclosure is available.
• Check provider certification before integration Verify that any digital identity service you consume is listed on the public register and covered by the relevant trust framework before it is allowed into production workflows.

Bottom line: The scrapping of a universal government credential does not remove the practical need for verified identity in regulated business processes.

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