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Ontario Launches Digital ID Plan: Photo Card First, Digital Driver's Licences and Health Cards to Follow
Ontario announced on Oct. 23 that it will phase in optional digital credentials, starting with public consultations later this year and a digital Ontario Photo Card. Digital driver's licences and health cards will follow at a later date, with no timeline announced. Physical cards will remain available permanently, with legislation planned for late 2027 to protect that right.
Why it matters
For Ontario residents, the plan points to a future in which a phone could stand in for a wallet full of provincial cards: driver's licences and health cards would live on a mobile device, ready to present when accessing services. But the plan is only just starting — the digital licence and health card have no date yet, so the physical cards still need to stay in your pocket for now.
Just as important is what will not change: digital credentials will be entirely optional, physical ID will remain permanently available, and the province intends to legislate that right. Residents who prefer plastic cards — or don't use a smartphone — are not forced into anything.
Full report
The Ontario government announced on Oct. 23 that it will begin a phased introduction of digital credentials, giving residents the option of storing provincial identification on their mobile devices and presenting it when accessing services in person or online.
The first step is consultation: starting later this year, the province will consult ministries, stakeholders and the public to shape the development of digital credentials. Following the consultations and testing, the first planned digital credential is the Ontario Photo Card, the government-issued photo ID for residents who do not have a driver's licence, commonly used to prove identity when opening bank accounts and accessing services.
Digital versions of driver's licences and health cards are intended to follow at a later date, supported by the consultations and the Photo Card testing. The province has announced no launch dates for them.
"As we modernize government services, we're making identification more secure, convenient and cost-effective," said Stephen Crawford, Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement. "Digital credentials will provide a trusted and seamless way to present identification, helping protect personal information while retaining every Ontario resident's right to use physical I.D."
Health Minister Sylvia Jones said advancing plans to provide optional access to secure digital credentials, including health cards, is one way the government is building a more connected and convenient health care system. Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said secure digital credentials would help deliver faster, simpler and more accessible services for people and businesses.
The province said the move aligns Ontario with other provinces such as Alberta, Quebec and B.C. In late 2027, the government intends to introduce legislation that would permanently protect residents' right to obtain and use physical identification, keeping digital credentials a choice rather than a requirement.
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