LTO starts issuing digital version of driver's license amid plastic cards supply woes
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has started the issuance of electronic driver's license (eDL), which it said, is valid like the physical driver’s license.
The eDL issuance came amid the continuous problem on the printing of driver’s license due to the shortage of plastic cards which reportedly emanated from a bidding policy change at the Department of Transportation.
In a statement, LTO officer-in-charge Hector Villacorta said the implementing guidelines for the issuance of the eDLs have already been released after a thorough study and assessment as to the security of the digital version of the license.
The issuance of the eDLs started on Wednesday, July 12, and can now be accessed through the Land Transportation Management System (LTMS) account of driver’s license holders.
“The eDL is a valid, secure, and an alternative form of authorization for persons operating motor vehicles. We are launching this as part of the agency’s digitalization. The eDL will also ensure efficiency in our service,” said Villacorta.
Under the LTO Memorandum Circular No. HAV-2023-2410, holders of valid Driver’s Licenses issued by the LTO will be given access to the eDL module.
Villacorta said holders of eDLs will have the same privileges and responsibilities accorded to holders of a physical driver’s license, adding that they are likewise subject to the same rules on traffic violations, imposition of fines and penalties.
Based on the guidelines, Villacorta said LTO enforcers and its deputized agents shall accept a holder’s eDL as a valid form of authorization and identification to operate a motor vehicle.
He said apprehended motorists will be issued a Temporary Operator’s Permit (TOP) or an Electronic Temporary Operator’s Permit (eTOP), which will be valid for 72 hours from the issuance of TOP.
“Apprehended motorists who must present the eDL only by accessing their LTMS portal account, while those who fail or refuse to present their eDL will be considered a violation of failure to carry a driver’s license,” said Villacorta.
Failure to settle the violation within the prescribed hours, the TOP will be deemed invalid, while the driver will be prohibited from operating any motor vehicle.
Should the eDL holder have an existing or unsettled violation or alarm, the eDL holder’s LTMS account will be suspended even as photographs and screenshots of the eDL will not be recognized by LTO law enforcement officers.