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SINGAPORE: A digital driving licence will be launched on the Singpass app next Monday (Mar 7), enabling fuss-free and quicker identity verification. 

The initiative is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs’s (MHA) “digitalisation push”, the police said in a news release on Wednesday. 

The digital driving licence will serve as an “alternative official identification document” for drivers in Singapore and Singpass app users can access it from the same section as their digital identity card. 

Users will not need to update their app to view their digital driving licence.

The virtual card can be used to verify a motorist’s driving licence information wherever required locally. 

“SPF is working closely with both the public and private sectors to encourage adoption of the digital driving licence in their transactions with the public,” said the police

MORE INFORMATION PROVIDED

The digital driving licence will provide more information compared to a hardcopy driving licence, on top of information such as the issue date and classes of vehicles that the motorist is certified to drive.

It can also show up-to-date information such as the number of demerit points accumulated by the motorist, eligibility for certificate of merit, as well as the status of the motorist’s driving licence. The information in the digital driving licence will be updated daily. 

Motorists using the digital driving licence will enjoy greater convenience, as they no longer have to access multiple platforms to retrieve such information,” said the police. 

Measures have been put in place to protect the user’s personal information. 

The digital driving licence will display “minimal information” on the Singpass app’s homepage and authentication is required to reveal or access the full details. 

SCREENSHOT NOT ACCEPTED

An animated and holographic lion crest will also be shown on the licence to deter image tampering and screenshot spoofing.

The crest will be absent or appear static if a person takes a screenshot or recording of the digital licence and attempts to pass that off as authentic, said the police. 

“Screenshots of the Digital Driving Licence provided by the motorists must not be accepted,” they added.

Agencies and businesses were also advised to look out for the animated lion crest with the holographic effect to make sure that the digital driving licence screen is “legitimate”.

They should also request for users to tap on their device to verify that the licence is not a captured image or video. 

Organisations were also reminded to not request screenshots or recordings of the digital driving licence as they are not meant for record-keeping purposes, said the police. 

Similar to the digital identity card, Singapore driving licence holders will have the option of hiding the display of the digital driving licence on the homepage by changing the setting on the Singpass app. 

The digital driving licence will be available on the Singpass app as long as anyone possesses a Singapore driving licence or is eligible for a Singpass account.

It will be provided free-of-charge when it is rolled out next week, and will also be issued to learner motorists who have just applied for their licence after meeting the requisite requirements. 

The digital driving licence was first announced at the second reading of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill in 2019.

“(This) is a significant milestone in Singapore’s Smart Nation journey,” said the police.