The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has announced that it will start issuing electronic driver’s licenses (eDL) to holders of valid physical driver’s license cards. The eDL is a secure and alternative form of authorization for driving motor vehicles, and it can be accessed through the LTO Management System (LTMS) portal.
According to LTO Officer-in-Charge Assistant Secretary Hector Villacorta, the eDL is part of the agency’s digitalization efforts to improve its service and efficiency. “The eDL will also ensure efficiency in our service,” he said.
The eDL will have the same privileges and responsibilities as the physical driver’s license, and it will be subject to the same rules on traffic violations, fines, and penalties. The motorists will have to present their eDL through their LTMS portal account when apprehended by LTO enforcers or deputized agents. Failure or refusal to do so will result in a violation of failure to carry a driver’s license.
The LTO will also issue a Temporary Operator’s Permit (TOP) or an Electronic Temporary Operator’s Permit (eTOP) to apprehended motorists, which will be valid for 72 hours. The motorists will have to settle their violations within the prescribed hours, otherwise, the TOP will be invalid and the driver will be prohibited from driving any motor vehicle.
The eDL holders will also have to check their LTMS portal account regularly for any existing or unsettled violations or alarms, as these will suspend their eDL access. The LTO warned that photographs and screenshots of the eDL will not be accepted by its law enforcement officers.
The LTO issued the implementing guidelines for the eDL under Memorandum Circular No. HAV-2023-2410, which aims to ensure the effective administration of the driver’s licensing system.
