More than 1.2 million Queenslanders have adopted a digital driver’s licence, new figures show, as governments continue to see middling uptake of the technology.
The Crisafulli government on Wednesday released updated user numbers for the state’s digital licence app, alongside the addition of driver trainer and motorcycle rider trainer accreditations to the service.
The new numbers suggest around 400,000 motorists have adopted a digital licence since March last year. Queensland Department of Transport figures from July 2024 show the state having over 4.1 million licenced drivers.
The government in a statement said around 1,000 people were downloading its digital licence app daily.
“We are committed to giving Queenslanders more choice on how they access government services, whether they prefer traditional physical cards or wish to go digital,” Customer Services Minister Steve Minnikin said.
The app was developed by defence company Thales in collaboration with Queensland firms Code Heroes and Aliva and launched in November 2023 under the then-Palaszczuk government.
It has been plagued with performance issues despite its $53 million rollout cost, with Mr Minnikin telling the ABC last year the app remained a “little bit clunky” to download.
Three other Australian states have also adopted a digital driver’s licence app, including New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria, with NSW the most successful jurisdiction in terms of usership.
More than 4.5 million – or over 65 per cent – of the state’s motorists had adopted a digital licence by 2024, five years after its launch.
Victoria’s government last May said 1.8 million – or around 37 per cent – of motorists had accessed a digital licence since its launch in 2024.
South Australia, the first state to offer a digital licence, has not published user numbers since 2018, when an Auditor-General’s report estimated around 51,000 people had at least one digital licence.
The Northern Territory and Tasmania have both announced funding and plans to launch a digital licence in 2026, while Western Australia’s government is yet to announce a firm timeline for its plans.
The ACT late last year said it would report on a digital licence program in December, citing concerns the technology would be obsolete by the time it could be launched.
The federal government’s digital identification system AGDIS has been criticised for its outdated technical design.
Digital licences provide valid ID and accreditation without the need for a plastic card. They are considered more secure as they are harder to access, lose or forge.
In June 2024, state and territory governments agreed to adopt international security standards for digital licences.
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