How safe are digital driver's licences?

The technology behind upcoming digital driver's licences is close to military grade in a bid to foil hackers, an expert who has been part of the process says.

The legislation paving the way for digital driver's licences passed in May and public consultation on how it would work closed last month.

What you need to know about digital driver licences in New Zealand

Christopher Goh is an Australian-based digital identity consultant who has worked with the Department of Internal Affairs on the framework.

He told Nine to Noon a digital licence would be just the same as a physical one - confirm a person's identity and from a police perspective, confirm the owner was qualified to drive.

In Australia, cybersecurity has gone through about 15 years of development, meaning it was now close to military grade, Goh said.

Data was stored in a separate location and encrypted within the phone, similar to the process within credit cards, he said.

The cryptography used was endorsed by NATO, European Commission and US Homeland Security and has been tested by experts in several countries.

"So it's passport grade. ...It's a constant evolution, and we know these threats are always evolving but it's gone through very sound cyber security checking."

Smart phones not mandatory

Generally speaking, people would need smart phones; the alternative would be smart chips in physical cards.

It would be accessed via an app with some level of security such as a thumbprint or face.

In the New Zealand legislation there was also a data minimisation clause while facial tattoos for Māori have also been addressed and will not disrupt the ability to get a digital licence.

While 80 percent of New Zealanders possess smart phones, the remaining 20 percent of motorists would be accommodated - unlike some countries where digital licences have been made mandatory.

"What we hope is, as New Zealand builds trust in this capability and brings more credentials in this format, it will also ease the greatest barrier meeting those eligibility requirements or streamlining those eligibility requirements ... The driver's licence is the start but hopefully with the rest of those credentials [eg birth certificate] in there as an ecosystem it brings a pathway to streameline service for the New Zealand government and for general services for Aotearoa."

For people on the margins, such as the homeless, who couldn't supply addresses, it would still be possible to have a digital licence. He was pleased the government was accommodating them, he said.

In the states in Australia where it was being used, the digital licences were being used for other things beside police checks. It can be proof of age for the likes of pubs and clubs, doing away with the need to hand over other personal information.

For online shopping it can verify a person's identity.

Goh said New Zealand was ahead of Australia in terms of legislation, a regulator and accepted international standards for the next stage of digital credentials.