Digital driver licence in Australia: a state-by-state guide (2026)

Most Australian states and territories now offer a digital driver licence (DDL), but they are at very different stages of aligning to the international ISO/IEC 18013-5 mobile driver licence (mDL) standard. Queensland's is the first in the country built to that standard. This guide summarises the picture as of 2026 — always check the issuing authority for the current status.

Digital driver licence vs mDL

A "digital driver licence" is any app-based version of a licence issued by a state. An mDL is the ISO-standardised, interoperable form — cryptographically signed so any conformant verifier can check it, in person or online, even offline. Australia's early state apps predate the standard; the direction of travel is to converge on ISO 18013-5. For a primer, see what is an mDL.

State by state (2026)

StateLaunchedISO/IEC 18013-5 QueenslandNov 2023Yes — first in Australia built to the standard (1.2M+ holders) VictoriaMay 2024Not yet aligned (1.8M+ users in year one) New South WalesApp predates the standard; photo-card pilot from Feb 2025ISO alignment expected around late 2026 South Australia2017 (Australia's first)Predates the standard; convergence underway Others / territoriesCommitted nationally; some (e.g. Tasmania) progressingTimelines mostly not yet announced

So a verifier in Australia today faces a mix: some genuinely ISO-conformant mDLs, and some older app-based licences that look similar but aren't interoperable in the same way.

The move to a common standard

In June, Australian jurisdictions and the Commonwealth agreed that verifiable credentials requiring cross-border verification would adopt ISO/IEC 18013 and ISO/IEC 23220, with the mobile driver licence as the first application. This national alignment (coordinated via Austroads) is what will eventually let one reader verify a licence from any state the same way — the whole point of a standard.

What it means for businesses that verify licences

• Build to the standard, not to any one state's app, so you're not re-integrating every time a jurisdiction changes.
• Support both in-person (18013-5) and online (18013-7) presentation — see ISO 18013-5 vs 18013-7.
• Use verification that validates the issuer's signature and device binding, and can work offline at the point of check.

That's exactly what the Smart Solutions mDL stack and TENSAI readers are built for.

Frequently asked questions

Which Australian states have a digital driver licence?

As of 2026, most do in some form — including Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia — but they differ in whether they conform to the ISO/IEC 18013-5 mDL standard. Check the issuing authority for the latest.

Which state's digital licence is ISO 18013-5 compliant?

Queensland launched the first ISO/IEC 18013-5 compliant mDL in Australia (November 2023). Others are working toward alignment.

Will physical licences be phased out?

Not in the near term — digital licences currently sit alongside physical cards. Availability and acceptance vary by state.

Can a digital driver licence be verified offline?

An ISO/IEC 18013-5 mDL can be verified in person without a live connection, because trust comes from the issuer's cryptographic signature. Older, non-ISO state apps may not offer the same guarantee.