Android 11 to add support for mobile driving licences

The next edition of Android will include support for mobile driving licences and will also provide enhanced biometric verification features, Google has revealed.

Android 11 dial logo

“Android 11 adds platform support for secure storage and retrieval of verifiable identification documents, such as ISO 18013-5-compliant mobile driving licences,” Google says.

The ISO 18013-5 mobile driving licence (mDL) standard is designed to facilitate ISO-compliant driving licence (IDL) functionality on a mobile device so that:

  • A mobile driving licence can be verified by a wide range of commercial and governmental organisations
  • Driving licence holders can decide what information they wish to release to a particular verifier
  • Information can be frequently updated
  • Authentication can be performed with a high level of confidence

Both NFC and QR codes are supported, along with manual or automated verification of the licence holder’s photo.

As well as traditional law enforcement applications, use cases where mobile driving licences are expected to provide new applications and improved ease of use include proof of age in bars and retail stores, car rental, hotel check-ins, bank account opening (KYC), access control, electronic document signing and more.

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