Fime launches mobile driving licence certification scheme

Fime has launched a certification scheme for mobile driving licences, the first step in a broader digital identity certification roadmap.

The programme is aimed at wallet providers, reader providers, governments and other groups involved in digital identity deployments. It gives those organisations an independent way to show their systems meet recognised requirements before wider rollout.

Mobile driving licences, often referred to as mDLs, are becoming part of a broader shift by governments and industry towards digital identity systems. That expansion has increased pressure on providers and public authorities to prove that systems can work across different markets and technical environments.

Fime's certification model is designed to address that issue through a structured process that runs from compliance testing to formal certification. Products that pass can use the company's certification mark.

The initial scheme focuses on mobile driving licences rather than the wider digital identity market. It validates products against ISO/IEC 18013-5:2021 and ISO/IEC TS 18013-7:2025, covering both in-person and remote presentation of an mDL.

The programme centres on one of the more established digital identity use cases, where authorities and technology suppliers are working on standardised ways to store and present driving credentials on mobile devices. Its focus on both in-person and remote use reflects the need for digital credentials to work across physical checks and online interactions.

Standards focus

According to Fime, the governance model aligns with ISO/IEC 17065 principles, while evaluations are carried out by laboratories operating in line with ISO/IEC 17025. Certification decisions are kept separate from testing and advisory work to support impartiality and consistency.

That structure matters because digital identity certification can vary between markets and schemes. For providers looking to sell technology into multiple jurisdictions, different interpretations of standards and approval processes can create delays and extra cost.

Governments also face a challenge when deciding which technologies are ready for deployment. A certification process recognised by ecosystem participants can help public authorities compare products and reduce uncertainty when moving from pilot projects to live use.

Steve Pannifer, Senior Vice President, Digital Identity at Fime, described the launch as a response to that shift in the market.

"Our industry is moving quickly from fragmented pilots to large-scale deployments, where trust and interoperability are critical," said Steve Pannifer, Senior Vice President, Digital Identity at Fime. "This scheme gives solution providers a structured, independent path to demonstrate they are market ready, while helping governments and ecosystem stakeholders accelerate real-world adoption with greater confidence."

Broader plan

The mobile driving licence scheme is the first in a planned family of digital identity certification programmes. Future work is expected to include the European Digital Identity framework, as well as regional, national and sector-based initiatives in other markets.

That points to a broader commercial and regulatory opening in digital identity as countries build national frameworks and sector-specific credentials. In Europe, the push towards a digital identity wallet has created a need for common approaches that can be used across member states, while other governments are pursuing their own identity systems.

The World Bank has supported digital identity programmes in more than 80 countries, underlining the scale of official interest in the sector. As those programmes move from design and pilot stages into deployment, suppliers are under greater pressure to show not only that products meet technical specifications, but also that they can interoperate with other parts of the ecosystem.

Fime is best known for testing and certification work in payments and related sectors, and this move extends that role further into digital identity. By starting with mobile driving licences, it is targeting a credential type with established international standards and a clearer path to implementation than some newer forms of digital identity.

The launch also reflects a wider trend in technology markets, where certification is used to build trust between software providers, device makers, public authorities and relying parties. In digital identity, where users may present credentials across borders and services, that trust is closely tied to whether systems follow common standards and whether those standards are applied consistently.

For suppliers, the attraction of a recognised scheme is the ability to show readiness for procurement and deployment without relying solely on self-assessment. For governments, the value lies in having an external framework to assess whether products are suitable for use in official identity programmes.