The Singapore Police Force (SPF) and HTX (Home Team Science and Technology Agency), in collaboration with the Government Technology Agency (GovTech), will launch the Singapore Digital Driving Licence (Digital DL) on the Singpass app on 7 March 2022. This was first announced at the Second Reading of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill in 2019. The Digital DL is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ digitalisation push and is a significant milestone in Singapore’s Smart Nation journey.
The Digital DL will serve as an alternative official identification document for drivers in Singapore. It will be available on the Singpass app from 7 March 2022 onwards; users will not need to update their app to view their Digital DL. Singpass app users can access it from the same section as the Digital Identity Card (Digital IC), which enables fuss-free and quicker identity verification. Sample screens of the Digital DL in the Singpass app interface may be found in Annex A. SPF is working closely with both the public and private sectors to encourage adoption of the Digital DL in their transactions with the public.
The Digital DL will provide more information compared to a hardcopy driving licence. On top of information such as date of issuance and classes of vehicles that the motorist is certified to drive, it can also display up-to-date information, such as the number of demerit points accumulated by the motorist, eligibility for certificate of merit, and the status of his/her driving licence. Motorists using the Digital DL will enjoy greater convenience, as they no longer have to access multiple platforms to retrieve such information.
Measures have been put in place to protect the user’s personal information. The Digital DL will display minimal information on the Singpass app’s homepage, and authentication is required to reveal or access the full details. An animated and holographic lion crest will be displayed on the Digital DL to deter image tampering and screenshot spoofing – the lion crest will be absent or appear static if a person simply captures a screenshot or recording of the Digital DL, and attempts to pass that off as authentic. Similar to the Digital IC, Singapore driving licence holders will have the option of hiding the display of the Digital DL on the homepage by changing the setting in the Singpass app.
For more information, please refer to the FAQs in Annex B or visit http://www.police.gov.sg/advisories/traffic/traffic-matters (under the dropdown box, please click “Singapore Driving Licence”).
Annex A: Digital Driving Licence on the Singpass app
Annex B: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: What is the Digital Driving Licence?
A1: The Digital Driving Licence is a digital card in your Singpass app that displays your photograph, driving licence number, classes of vehicles that you are allowed to drive, status of the licence, demerit points and eligibility for the Certificate of Merit.
Q2: How do I access the Digital Driving Licence?
A2: To view the Digital Driving Licence, all you need to do is:
- Launch the Singpass app
- On the homepage, swipe left on the Digital IC
- Tap on the Digital Driving Licence
- Click on “Show Details” to see the full details of the card
Q3: When can I use the Digital Driving Licence?
A3: You can use the Digital Driving Licence to verify your driving licence information wherever required locally.
Businesses that require verification of driving licence-related information such as the driving licence class, status of driving licence, etc, are encouraged to use the Digital Driving Licence as the primary means of verification as the information reflected within the digital card will be the most up-to-date. Businesses should verify the driving licence information within the Singpass app. Screenshots of the Digital Driving Licence provided by the motorists must not be accepted.
To ensure security, motorists have to authenticate further, e.g. using fingerprint, facial recognition or passcode, to access the full details of their Digital Driving Licence.
Q4: How do I attain the Digital Driving Licence?
A4: The Digital Driving Licence will be available on the Singpass app as long as you possess a Singapore driving licence in Singapore and you are eligible for a Singpass account. Learner motorists who have just applied for their driving licence after meeting the requisite requirements will also be issued the Digital Driving Licence, if they are eligible for a Singpass account.
For Singpass eligibility, please visit https://go.gov.sg/singpass-eligibility.
Q5: I do not have a Singpass account. Can I continue to use my hardcopy driving licence?
A5: You may continue to use your hardcopy driving licence if needed. However, you are strongly encouraged to sign up for a Singpass account if you are eligible for one.
Q6. Will I be charged for the Digital Driving Licence?
A6: No. The Digital Driving Licence is provided free-of-charge when it is rolled out on 7 March 2022. When the hardcopy photocard driving licence is made optional in the second half of 2022, the fee policy for the hardcopy and Digital Driving Licence will be reviewed.
Q7: Does the Digital Driving Licence replace my photocard driving licence?
A7: The Digital Driving Licence is an alternative identification document for Singapore driving licence holders for verification of driving licence information locally. You can choose to use the Digital Driving Licence in lieu of your photocard driving licence when you are asked to verify your driving licence information.
Please note that you may still be required to produce your photocard driving licence, if required in specific situations, e.g. while driving overseas.
If you lose your photocard driving licence or the card has been defaced, you are still required to apply online for a replacement of your photocard driving licence via the SPF e-Services platform. You will be required to use your Singpass account to access the services.
Businesses that require verification of driving licence-related information such as the status of driving licence are encouraged to use the Digital Driving Licence as the primary means of verification as the information reflected within the digital card will be the most up-to-date. Businesses should verify the information within the Singpass app itself. Screenshot or screen recording of the Digital Driving Licence provided by the motorists must not be accepted.
For more information on the various status, please refer to Annex C.
Q8: An organisation has requested for a screenshot of my Digital Driving Licence. Should I allow them to take a photograph of it?
A8: The Digital Driving Licence is an alternative document for a user to present his driving licence-related information. It is not meant to be screen captured or recorded for security reasons.
If personal data or driving licence-related information need to be furnished, agencies or businesses should use the Singpass Verify or Myinfo services to retrieve the data with the user’s consent. Alternatively, agencies or businesses may manually record the information displayed on the Digital Driving Licence into their own systems. The collection and use of data are subjected to the Public Sector (Governance) Act or Personal Data Protection Act, where applicable.
Agencies and businesses can visit https://api.singpass.gov.sg to find out more about Verify and Myinfo APIs.
Q9: How can I tell if a Digital Driving Licence is legitimate?
A9: The Digital Driving Licence has an animated lion crest with a holographic effect at the right bottom corner of the user’s photograph to deter image tampering and screenshot spoofing. The lion crest is absent or appears static if a person attempts to capture a screenshot or screen recording of the Digital Driving Licence.
Agencies and businesses should look out for the animated lion crest with holographic effect to ascertain that the Digital Driving Licence screen is legitimate, and request for users to tap on their device to verify that the presented Digital Driving Licence is not a captured image or video.
Q10: Is it mandatory for me to carry my Digital Driving Licence or photocard driving licence when I drive?
A10: No. It is not required by law to carry your driving licence when you are driving in Singapore. However, if you are stopped by a police officer for checks, the presence of the Digital Driving Licence or photocard driving licence onsite will help the Police to expedite the verification process.
Q11: Why should I use the Digital Driving Licence?
A11: The Digital Driving Licence provides motorists with a secure means of verifying their driving licence information. As the information reflected within the digital card will be the most up-to-date, motorists can access the Digital Driving Licence to view accurate and updated information such as the driving licence status, number of demerit points accorded, and eligibility for the Certificate of Merit when buying motor vehicle insurance.
Q12: If my phone is compromised and hackers have access to my data, will they also get my Digital Driving Licence data?
A12: Singpass is built to ensure high levels of security, such as requiring verification when accessing important information like the Digital Driving Licence. It is meant to withstand most types of security breaches – when threats or altered settings that may compromise the security of the device are detected, the app will lock itself and will not be usable until the threat subsides.
However, there may be rare cases where access may be compromised. Therefore, individuals are strongly encouraged to ensure secure access to their devices and the app (e.g. by not disclosing their PIN and setting up only their own biometric profiles for access to their devices) to minimise threats. The latter can be prevented by not jailbreaking their devices, not accessing or downloading suspicious materials on their devices, and performing frequent virus scans.
If you suspect a potential breach, you are advised to call the Singpass Helpdesk at Tel no: 6335 3533, and to lodge a police report. You should also reset your Singpass password immediately.
Q13: Is my Digital Driving Licence shown on the homepage of the app? I do not want to show the details reflected in my Digital Driving Licence for privacy reasons. How can I hide it?
A13: By default, the Digital Driving Licence on the app’s homepage reflects only the last four digits of the licence holder’s licence number and photo without any other information. To view the full set of data, you will need to authenticate using your fingerprint, face or passcode, depending on your preferred settings.
For enhanced privacy, GovTech has implemented an option for users to hide their My Cards section, including the Digital Driving Licence and Digital IC, on the home screen. Please update your Singpass app to the latest version via the app store to enjoy this feature.
To hide your My Cards section by default (i.e. in the hidden state each time the home screen is shown):
- Tap on the Settings menu at the top right corner of the home screen.
- Toggle on the “Always hide ‘My Cards’” option.
- Your Digital Driving Licence will be automatically hidden every time the home screen is shown.
You may also choose to temporarily hide your Digital Driving Licence at any time by tapping on the “up” arrow at the “My Cards” section. In this case, the app launches the next time in its last saved setting, i.e. the Digital Driving Licence stays hidden if you have chosen to hide it before closing the app, and vice versa.
To quickly unhide the Digital Driving Licence for a transaction, tap on the “down” arrow and authenticate with your fingerprint, face or passcode. Upon authentication, you will be able to access full details of your Digital DL. You will only be prompted to re-authenticate after two minutes.
Q14: What should I do if I lose my phone with the Singpass app installed?
A14: Should you misplace your device, you may choose to deactivate the Singpass app quickly on the Singpass website or install the app on another device to automatically deactivate it on the lost device. You may refer to the instructions here: https://www.ifaq.gov.sg/singpass/apps/fcd_faqmain.aspx#FAQ_1112322.
Q15: Which is safer? The Digital Driving Licence or photocard driving licence?
A15: There are different safety concerns for each type of identification. While a lost photocard driving licence can be used illegally by someone else, the details on the Digital Driving Licence can only be accessed by the Singpass holder (due to the type of authentication required) even if the phone is misplaced.
Q16: Can I access my Digital Driving Licence without an internet connection?
A16: The Singpass app requires a user to be connected to the internet in order to retrieve the information. Hence, the Digital Driving Licence will not be available without internet connectivity.
Q17: Can I use the Digital Driving Licence overseas?
A17: The recognition of the Singapore Digital Driving Licence overseas is dependent on the country of visit. We encourage you to continue to bring along your photocard driving licence and your international driving permit (IDP) when you travel if you wish to drive in the country of visit. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) will continue to work towards having the Singapore Digital Driving Licence recognised abroad.
Q18: I am a business owner who needs to verify the driving licence information of my staff or customer. How do I verify this information?
A18: Companies and organisations are encouraged to verify the driver licence information using the Digital Driving Licence in the Singpass app, as the information reflected within the digital card will be the most up-to-date.
Organisations should not request for screenshot or recording of the Digital Driving Licence as it is not meant for record keeping purposes.
Q19: Are there other means to verify my driving licence status apart from using the Digital Driving Licence?
A19: You may also visit our SPF e-Services https://eservices.police.gov.sg/content/policehubhome/homepage/enquiry/status-of-driving-licence.html to check on the status of your driving licence.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
02 March 2022 @ 6:00 PM