The issue was one of the main items up for discussion at the Council of Australian Government’s meeting on national security in Canberra.

The licence photos will complement the country’s existing database of passport photos.

The move is expected to reduce the time it takes for police to confirm a person’s identity following a terror incident or crime.

Law enforcement agencies across the country will have access to this database.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the database would allow for real-time facial recognition when matched to CCTV footage.

Premier Will Hodgman had no qualms about supporting the move.

"It's important to note that we're not handing over a database, we're providing access," he said.

"That will not only ensure greater security measures are in place at a national level but it will also assist local jurisdictions in law enforcement, in preventing crime and keeping our local communities safe.

"There is no doubt that we live in very uncertain times and this is the new world order.

"We have to adapt and we need to ensure that our nation's law enforcement agencies and governments are ahead of the game and that includes on occasions needing to put privacy concerns alongside protecting our communities.

"When it comes to that choice, it's the latter that Tasmania, and I think the nation, should choose."

The states also agreed to a national law allowing a terror suspect to be detained for 14 days without charge