Slow rollout as digital licence glitches ironed out

Nearly 100,000 Queenslanders have managed to secure a digital licence, three days after its bumpy launch.

Nearly 100,000 Queenslanders have secured a digital licence just three days after a bumpy launch of the technology.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey also confirmed a verifier app designed for business had been downloaded 75,000 times, with the rollout of the technology anecdotally smooth in the Valley—Brisbane’s nightclub precinct— overnight.

As of 9am on Saturday a total of 98,002 people had successfully applied to get a digital version of their licence uploaded to a secure, specifically designed app on their smartphones.

This is six times more than the signup numbers at 1.30pm on Wednesday, when 15,000 Queenslanders had signed up.

Mr Bailey said he remained disappointed the rollout of the technology - which has been in development since 2018 - was not as smooth as hoped in the immediate hours after the launch. He said the glitches were being ironed out.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey. Picture: Richard Walker

The Queensland Digital Licence app was developed by the Department of Transport and Main Roads in partnership with defence company Thales and Queensland-based tech companies Code Heroes and Aliva.

It is the first app of its kind in Australia to be compliant with international standards.

The digital licence can be used wherever identification information is needed, including to pick up postage, entering a bar or nightclub, renting a car, or even travelling overseas—though when heading outside Queensland users are advised to carry their physical licence still.

Queenslanders are being assured their private information is safe and secure within the app as it is encrypted on their device and can only be accessed using a PIN to log into the app.

The app has been in development since 2018 with the government launching trial sites in Townsville and on the Fraser Coast.

Queensland’s new digital drivers licence. Picture: Supplied

The trial in Townsville was due to begin at the end of 2022, but was delayed until April 2023 following major data breaches at Optus and Medibank

There has been criticism of Queensland’s slow rollout of digital licences compared to other jurisdictions including New South Wales and South Australia.

But the state government is standing by the timeline, affirming extensive security testing including the hiring of “ethical hackers” to ensure robustness has been important.

The project also included the development of a “Digital Licence Verifier” app which allows businesses to use a shared device between their staff in order to verify a customers’ information without requiring everyone to sign into the app individually.

The app can be downloaded from the Apple and Google Play Stores, and Queenslanders will need their passport and/or birth certificate as a further proof of identity when they first sign up.