Young people in New South Wales will soon be able to access a digital birth certificate on their mobile phone for the first time, as part of a major step towards modernising identity documents across the state.
Under the first stage of the rollout, residents aged 16 to 21 will be eligible to apply for a digital certificate from March 2026. The initiative will be optional and limited to people born in NSW who also hold either a photo card or a NSW driver’s licence.
NSW Digital and Customer Services Minister Jihad Dib said the move would make identity verification safer, faster and more convenient.
“Not only will it help you prove your identity, it will safeguard your information and give you more control of your personal data through better consent and privacy measures,” Dib said. “With a digital birth certificate, you’ll have access anytime, anywhere — without worrying about where to keep the paper copy.”
To begin with, the digital certificate will only be accepted at Service NSW centres for selected government transactions, including applications for Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) and Responsible Conduct of Gambling (RCG) competency cards.
Service NSW and the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages said they were working closely with industry leaders to ensure broader acceptance of the digital certificate in the future by government agencies, businesses, schools, sporting clubs and community organisations.
The state government conducted an initial pilot in 2024 involving early childhood education centres and Vision Australia clients, attracting over 1400 participants. The digital credential was found to be particularly useful for young people navigating early employment and education processes.
NSW was also one of the early adopters of digital driver’s licences, launching them statewide in 2019 shortly after South Australia, paving the way for further digital identity reforms.
