Your digital identity and credentials

Help us make it easier for you to do things like open a bank account, buy a phone, start a new job, prove your age or enrol to study.

If you claimed a Dine & Discover NSW voucher, have a Digital Driver Licence credential, or a fishing or boating licence through your Service NSW app, you're one of millions of people in NSW who've used their digital credentials and digital identity.

Choice, security, and privacy are key to providing even more services that you can use with confidence

Imagine if you could also use your Service NSW app to prove your identity online and apply for or renew a licence or a certificate, such as a First Aid or Birth Certificate, with a few simple clicks anytime anywhere, without the need to be present in person?

What if you could use your Service NSW app to verify eligibility for your pensioner or student travel fare discount or enter your gym or apartment?

This may all be possible in the future through digital wallets such as the Service NSW app. If you choose to securely store and use your digital identity and verifiable credentials in your Service NSW app these will only be stored on your device.

It will be your choice whether to use or not use a digital identity or credential.

Better access to services and greater control over your personal information

We aim to empower you by offering digital identity and credentials that give you:

  • Choice – You’ll have more choice in the way you prove your identity or eligibility when accessing government and non-government services
  • Control – You’ll be in full control when sharing your personal information and know exactly what information is shared
  • Consent – You’ll be in charge and without your explicit consent none of your information will be shared
  • Convenience – You can seamlessly and digitally prove your identity and share or verify your credentials in a way that suits you
  • Confidence – You can feel assured by the proven processes and robust safeguards.

Have your say

We're inviting your feedback to help us shape the best digital identity services for you. You can participate in as many ways as you choose until mid-2022.

Thank you for your feedback

Our formal consultation period is now closed however we are always happy to take your comments, questions and feedback via digitalidentity@service.nsw.gov.au.

Help us make it easier for you to do things like open a bank account, buy a phone, start a new job, prove your age or enrol to study.

If you claimed a Dine & Discover NSW voucher, have a Digital Driver Licence credential, or a fishing or boating licence through your Service NSW app, you're one of millions of people in NSW who've used their digital credentials and digital identity.

Choice, security, and privacy are key to providing even more services that you can use with confidence

Imagine if you could also use your Service NSW app to prove your identity online and apply for or renew a licence or a certificate, such as a First Aid or Birth Certificate, with a few simple clicks anytime anywhere, without the need to be present in person?

What if you could use your Service NSW app to verify eligibility for your pensioner or student travel fare discount or enter your gym or apartment?

This may all be possible in the future through digital wallets such as the Service NSW app. If you choose to securely store and use your digital identity and verifiable credentials in your Service NSW app these will only be stored on your device.

It will be your choice whether to use or not use a digital identity or credential.

Better access to services and greater control over your personal information

We aim to empower you by offering digital identity and credentials that give you:

  • Choice – You’ll have more choice in the way you prove your identity or eligibility when accessing government and non-government services
  • Control – You’ll be in full control when sharing your personal information and know exactly what information is shared
  • Consent – You’ll be in charge and without your explicit consent none of your information will be shared
  • Convenience – You can seamlessly and digitally prove your identity and share or verify your credentials in a way that suits you
  • Confidence – You can feel assured by the proven processes and robust safeguards.

Have your say

We're inviting your feedback to help us shape the best digital identity services for you. You can participate in as many ways as you choose until mid-2022.

Thank you for your feedback

Our formal consultation period is now closed however we are always happy to take your comments, questions and feedback via digitalidentity@service.nsw.gov.au.

This engagement is now closed. Thank you for your questions.

Ask your questions digital identity or credentials here. Content here is moderated before it is posted to ensure the discussion remains on topic.

If you are a supplier interested in providing digital identity services to NSW Government, engage with us through the buy nsw website, buynsw.gov.au. 

  • i can't load my drivers licence on the nsw service app - says that details are incorrect but they are not, fully checked multiple times plus it's current? any tips?

    LisaJ asked over 1 year ago

    HI Lisa
    Thank you for your email regarding uploading your digital drivers licence.
    As this issue relates not to the Department of Customer Service digital identity program, but to Service NSW, please direct your enquiry to Service NSW on 13 77 88 or service.nsw.gov.au/contact-us.

    Kind regards
    The Program Team 


  • If a business asks for proof of a government certification, do you conceal my identity? For example, lets say I'm hiring a car and the hire company needs to know I have a drivers licence valid for the next 3 months. One way of proving that is to mirror the existing practice, which is given them the equivalent of a photocopy of the licence. Doing that means they will also get my name, DOB, licence number, and a whole pile of other identifying information. With this app another way becomes possible: providing a cryptograpically opaque token containing just the information they require. In other words this token proves the phone giving it to them held a valid drivers licence issued by the NSW government that will be valid for the next 3 months. It reveals nothing else - it can't even be used to track me because a different token would be handed out each time. Nonetheless by possessing it the rental company can prove in a legally enforceable way they collected the information. Later if something goes severely wrong (say I commit a crime using the rented vehicle), they can handle the token over to the authorities (the police perhaps) who, unlike them, can use it to identify me. And just as importantly, the protocol used to provide the token proves it's not simply a copy of another token issued earlier, perhaps from another phone. Which approach is this initiative proposing to take? The "photocopy of the existing licence" approach, or the "you get just the information you need" approach?

    Russell Stuart asked over 1 year ago

    HI Russell

    Thank you for your enquiry on the future rollout of verifiable credentials (VC)

    The sharing of credentials with relying parties using VC will be privacy respecting and will conform to the World Wide Web Consortium verifiable credentials Framework.

    This means that the NSW Government will support sharing of credentials with selective disclosure and zero knowledge proofs. The control of what is shared will always be with the customer and will require mandatory customer consent.

    In addition, any attribute sharing via TDIF Exchanges will occur with consent and in a "double blind" way, which means we will not be able to track usage of identity attributes or credentials.

    I hope that answers your question.  

    In summary;

    1. The customer will always be in control of their data and privacy
    2. Consent will be required for sharing
    3. The system will support data minimisation (share only verifiable proofs rather than actual details)
    4. The system will be designed to not allow any Identity or credential provider to track customer's data sharing activities across relying parties.

    Any questions please let me now. 

    Regards
    Christine

  • To what extent would this enhanced service NSW dovetail with federal services? Or will it become yet another layer of red tape, especially if acting for someone with EPOA?

    DementiaSupport asked almost 2 years ago

    Thank you for your thoughtful question. A number of customers' ideas and questions on this page are about linking with federal services, and we may consider that in future. I understand from your question that you might hold an EPOA for someone, so you probably know that Service NSW doesn't store EPOA information - the hard copies must be presented at a Service NSW Service Centre.

    Your question is timely to remind us to think through the needs and experience of each customer, their guardians and carers as we develop the program from the early stage that we're at right now. Our goal is always to make it easier for customers to get things done as we design and build new services.

    You will have the choice to use or not use the new digital services or to continue to visit service.nsw.gov.au, call us or visit a Service NSW Service Centre.

  • What happens when the database is hacked?

    LIZ51 asked almost 2 years ago

     

    Hi LIZ51,
    Thank you for your question. Service NSW takes privacy and security of our customers very seriously. We have an extensive cybersecurity program to protect our digital services and keep customer data secure. We also have relevant processes to respond to, manage and disclose, in accordance with the law, any data breaches that may compromise the privacy of our customers. Service NSW doesn't store any customer data in a central location to ensure that if a  hacker does get into one of our databases, they won't be able to find a "honeypot" of personal data about our customers.

  • Where is there any privacy and why would anyone attempt to remove it

    Argon asked almost 2 years ago

    Hi Argon,

    Thank you for your question about privacy. Privacy is important to us at Service NSW and we take reasonable security measures to protect your personal information from loss, unauthorised access, modification, disclosure or other misuse. Some of our main methods include multi-factor authentication, data encryption and firewalls to minimise unauthorised access to information. We always ensure that personal data is not kept longer than necessary and disposed of appropriately in accordance with the law. You can also choose to not receive some communications or messages from us, including general information communications or information sent from us or our partner agencies.

  • The largest thing l am worried about digital identity is hacking?

    Dag asked almost 2 years ago

    Hi Dag,

    Thank you for your feedback. We will pass this onto the rest of the Project team. 

    NSW residents will be able to choose to use a Digital ID or credential. The existing ways of accessing NSW Government services will remain - you can choose to visit service.nsw.gov.au, call Service NSW on 13 77 88 or visit a Service NSW Centre.

  • What older people who don't want or do not use a mobile phone for everything. And who ensures the persons phone is secure?

    Les asked almost 2 years ago

    Hi Les,

    Thank you for your feedback. NSW residents will be able to choose to use a Digital ID or credential. The existing ways of accessing NSW Government services will remain - you can choose to visit service.nsw.gov.au, call Service NSW on 13 77 88 or visit a Service NSW Centre.

  • How is having all your personal details on your phone safe? I was wanting to keep my medicare, drivers licence and banking details off my phone and only have this information on one device. I believe scammers have enough access already to our information. This is taking our choice away.

    Leslea asked almost 2 years ago

    Thank you for your feedback. NSW residents will be able to choose to use a Digital ID or credential. The existing ways of accessing NSW Government services will remain - you can choose to visit service.nsw.gov.au, call Service NSW on 13 77 88 or visit a Service NSW Centre.

  • Why is the PHOTO CARD you gave me to replace the driver's license I voluntarily handed in when I turned 83 eighteen months ago still not acceptable when I tried to get the $25 voucher to allow me to pay for a meal at a local club or attend a theatre? Seems like a case of left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.

    Ranndy_Stone3 asked almost 2 years ago

    Hi there, 

    We are sorry to hear about your experience of collecting Dine and Discover vouchers. If you received the original vouchers for your husband in paper format, please call 13 77 88. You'll need to let Service NSW know how you'd like to receive the two new vouchers: by email or SMS, or you can collect them from a Service Centre of your choice. More information is available at https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-dine-discover-nsw-vouchers

    I hope this is helpful. 

  • I hope there is more ways to check in for the election than using the app. If not, I won’t be able to vote in person.

    Suzzz46 asked almost 2 years ago

    Hi there,

    The way in which you check in to vote in an election has not changed. You can choose to use digital services to access NSW Government services. For example, a customer might choose to store and access their Drivers Licence or other work licences digitally. They may also still choose to phone us on 13 77 88 or visit a Service NSW Centre. 

    Thanks,

    Carlina (Project team)