Ontario to consult on optional digital ID cards

The Ontario government plans to begin consultations later in 2026 on optional digital identification that residents could carry on their phones, and says it will pass a law guaranteeing people can keep using physical ID cards.

According to a provincial news release issued Oct. 23, 2026, digital credentials would be stored on mobile devices and used to prove identity in person or online. The province said the option would be voluntary and would add security by reducing the risk of lost or stolen cards.

“As we modernize government services, we’re making identification more secure, convenient and cost-effective,” Stephen Crawford, the minister of public and business service delivery and procurement, said.

The first product would be a digital version of the Ontario Photo Card, the government-issued photo ID for residents who do not hold a driver’s licence. The province said further consultations and testing would follow before it considers optional digital driver’s licences and health cards. It did not give a date for those later steps.

The government also said it intends to introduce legislation in late 2027 that would protect the right to obtain and use only physical ID, with digital credentials remaining optional. The announcement was first reported by BlogTO and later by MobileSyrup. The province’s news release sets out the plan.

The move comes as governments across Canada weigh how to hold more personal data digitally. Recent security incidents have shown what is at stake: Toronto Crime Stoppers stopped taking tips after a data breach this month, and Ottawa took some federal websites offline over a PHP security flaw. The province has not said how digital credentials would be secured or what they would cost to build.

Details on when the consultations open and how residents can take part have not been released.

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