Digital Drivers Licence - Car Rental

Joined
Sep 29, 2025
Posts
2
Hey Folks,

I hope someone can help. I am travelling back to the UK on an urgent trip. After booking my car yesterday, I noticed the rental contract requests a physical drivers licence, but I only have a digital one.

Does anyone know of any rental companies that can help with just the digital licence?

Cheers!
 
If you have any time tomorrow morning go into your state/territory motor vehicle registration authority and see if they can make you one up. I don’t know which places can print them on the spot.

NSW (via Service NSW) only give you a temporary paper license then the card comes in the mail a week or so later.

I wonder if the paper temporary license would do when used alongside the digital version?
 
If you have any time tomorrow morning go into your state/territory motor vehicle registration authority and see if they can make you one up. I don’t know which places can print them on the spot.

NSW (via Service NSW) only give you a temporary paper license then the card comes in the mail a week or so later.

I wonder if the paper temporary license would do when used alongside the digital version?
Thank you for replying, Scarlett.

I have spoken with Indigo Car Hire. They said there are so many people from Australia with the same issue. The only stipulation is that I have to upload my licence before I travel (my next challenge 😂).

The agent I spoke to said its best to speak to them instead of booking through their website.
 
Hey Folks,

I hope someone can help. I am travelling back to the UK on an urgent trip. After booking my car yesterday, I noticed the rental contract requests a physical drivers licence, but I only have a digital one.

Does anyone know of any rental companies that can help with just the digital licence?

Cheers!
None of the majors in the UK will accept a digital license. May need to go to off airport cheaper options.
 
The car rental industry struggles with anything digital, most don’t accept credit cards on your phone for instance, given they only just said goodbye to dot matrix printers for your contract I suppose we should not be surprised.
 

I'm not sure how you actually get the hard copy though
 

I'm not sure how you actually get the hard copy though
Of an IDP? For NSW, you can get them on the day from Services NSW (need a PP photo and valid licence).

But I don’t think that’ll help the OP anyway (in the UK).

I’m perplexed why they weren’t issued a hardcopy DLs? I’m in the US at the moment and many places will card you regardless of age and they don’t accept virtual cards. Nor do some places in Oz.

In NSW, I also get the Blue ID card as well as my normal DL. The former I use when travelling for ID. If I lose it or it’s stolen, no big deal. Still have real DL and virtual.
 
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