The NSW Government is working with both Latitude Financial (March 2023) and Optus (October 2022) to support impacted customers following data breaches of both companies.
More information can be found on the Optus website or the Latitude Financial website.
Who needs a replacement driver licence
If you have had your NSW driver licence details exposed you may need to replace your card.
You can replace your licence card online or in person at a Service NSW Centre.
You only need to replace your NSW driver licence if you have been notified that both your driver licence number and the card number have been compromised.
This is because in NSW, increased identity protections came into effect on 1 September 2022, to help guard against the unauthorised use of a driver licence for ID purposes.
Since that date, both numbers on your driver licence, the licence number and the card number, are required to pass a Document Verification Service (DVS) check.
If both your driver licence number and card number (top right of the card) were accessed in a data breach:
- you will be contacted by the breached company
- you should replace your NSW driver licence.
When you replace your licence, your driver licence number will remain the same but your card number will change. This will protect you from unauthorised DVS checks using the old card's information.
Document Verification Service (DVS) checks
A DVS check is used by institutions such as banks to verify a person’s identity.
Both the driver licence number and the card number are required to pass a DVS check for NSW licence holders.
You will be notified directly by the breached organisation if your information has been compromised.
The breached organisation will notify you of any remediation activities you need to undertake in relation to your driver licence.
If they recommend you replace your licence, visit Replace a NSW driver licence.
When you replace your NSW driver licence, please select ‘stolen’ as the reason for your card replacement.
There is no need to replace your NSW driver licence unless you've been informed that both your licence number and your card number were compromised. The licence number on its own is not enough to pass a DVS check.
We strongly encourage you to only replace your driver licence if you have been notified that your licence number and your card number have been compromised.
You will need to pay for the replacement and discuss with the breached organisation if you wish to be reimbursed.
The fee to replace a licence card is $29.
If you have replaced your driver licence card recently and not yet provided those updated credentials to the breached organisation, you may not need to have your card replaced again.
If you have replaced your card in the past 12 months and would like to replace it again, you will need to do this at a Service NSW centre.
This is to maintain the security of your driver licence.
The breached organisation will confirm to each impacted customer what personal information has been stolen, what they are doing to support their customers, and what additional steps customers should consider taking to further protect their information.
Customers who are affected will be notified directly by the organisation of the specific information compromised.
If you feel you are at risk of immediate danger call NSW Police 000.
For immediate driver licence replacement visit Replace a NSW driver licence.
Look out for any suspicious or unexpected activity across your online accounts, including your bank accounts.
Make sure to report any fraudulent activity immediately to the related provider.
Be alert for contact from scammers who may have your personal information. This may include suspicious emails, texts, phone calls or messages on social media.
Never click on any links that look suspicious and never provide your passwords, or any other personal or financial information.
It’s always a good idea to take precautions to protect yourself from fraud and scams. You can find some advice on the ID Support NSW website.
If you are affected by identity crime and need to replace your NSW Government-issued documents, such as a driver licence or a birth certificate, ID Support NSW will be able to help you do that.
You can contact ID support by phone on 1800 001 040 or via their online form. The team is available Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.