Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) has extended its digital drivers licence trial in Townsville, with local, state and federal agencies among the first groups to access it.

The Townsville trial  follows a pilot on the Fraser Coast involving 700 people and 120 businesses, and comes ahead of a launch to the wider Townsville community next month and an eventual state-wide rollout.

Townsville residents will be able to access their digital licence as their postcode is added to the trial over the coming weeks.

Queensland isn’t the first state to introduce the technology.

Digital licences are is already being used in South Australia, NSW and Victoria, but in what the Queensland government says is an Australia first, its technology is compatible with international systems, meaning it can be used around the world.

The trial will also operate in Safe Night precincts, where customers will be able to use the app to enter licensed premises.

TMR says safety testing has been carried out to ensure data and privacy security, while new features and improvements arising from the Fraser Coast trial will be road tested.

The current trial will focus on the app’s performance, compatibility with existing systems, and ensure compliance with privacy and data retention regulations.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey said it was an exciting step forward.

“If you run a business or organisation which needs to verify your customers’ information, such as age, date of birth, address, driver licence status or more, it can all be done from the palm of your hand,” he said.

The app was developed in collaboration with, Thales and Aliva and local software company Code Heroes.

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