No Plastic: LTO to launch digital driver's license

In the midst of the ongoing issues regarding the supply of plastic cards for driver's licenses, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) may have come up with a solution that could prove to be a major plus in terms of convenience.

According to LTO Chief Jay Art Tugade, the two government agencies are set to launch a “super app” where motorists can get digital or online copies of their driver's licenses, which will serve as an alternative to the physical plastic card.

"The advantage of the digital license is that motorists can present it to law enforcement officers during apprehension. It is equivalent to presenting a physical driver's license. We also appreciate the way the super app functions similarly to a wallet, containing all government IDs, among other things, within your mobile device" said Tugade.

Like the physical plastic card, security features can also be found in the digital version, along with other measures in the “super app” to avoid fraud.

For now, the agency did not exactly say when the digital version will be made available, or when the “super app” will go online. But once it does, at least motorists won't have to settle with presenting their official receipts as their temporary driver's licenses.