The Transport Department (TD) today (September 15) launched the electronic driving licence (eDL) to bring greater convenience and flexibility to some 2.5 million DL holders who can display the eDL through their smartphones, thereby advancing smart mobility.

     From today onwards, DL holders can download the TD's "Electronic Driving Licence" mobile application (eDL app) for free and authenticate with "iAM Smart" (Hong Kong identity (HKID) card holders) or the TD's e-Licensing Portal (e-LP) (elicensingportal.td.gov.hk/login) (non-HKID card holders) account to log in and access their eDLs, covering full, learner's, probationary and temporary DLs, as well as the driving instructor's licence. The eDL is an alternative to the physical DL to fulfil the statutory requirements of carrying or producing a DL for examination or inspection by law enforcement officers.

     The eDL provides data in sync with the information contained in the physical DL, including the holder's name, the DL number, the class(es) of vehicle permitted to drive and the expiry date(s). The status of the eDL is indicated in blue, yellow or red, showing a valid, a partially valid (e.g. individual DL category being valid, but another category expired) or an expired DL respectively. The eDL can only be displayed via the TD's eDL app in the specified form with multiple security features to avoid counterfeiting, including identity authentication, a dynamic TD logo, the disabled screen capture function and an encrypted time-limited QR code. Each DL holder can only register one eDL account, and each mobile phone can only be used to bind to one account at a time.

     A spokesman for the TD said, "The current arrangement of issuing the physical DL remains unchanged, and DL holders may use it at their preference. If applicants submit DL applications online, they can immediately access their eDLs via the eDL app conveniently and swiftly upon approval and do not need to wait for the physical DL sent by post."

     From August, the TD has briefed representatives of the transport sector, comprising the goods vehicle, taxi, public light bus, non-franchised bus and cross-boundary coach trades, as well as driving schools, on the use of the eDL, and maintained close liaison with law enforcement agencies and relevant departments. The TD will also notify the relevant Mainland and overseas authorities or consulates in Hong Kong of the launch of the eDL.

     In the past year, the TD has introduced various e-licensing services. They include the enhanced vehicle licensing arrangement, saving the need for vehicle owners to replace the paper licence after renewal, together with the simplified application document requirements; the development of the e-LP as a one-stop online platform for managing licences; setting up International Driving Permit (IDP) Self-service Kiosks; and the launch of an E-Auction platform enabling the public to bid for their desired vehicle registration marks online. Applications for most licences and driving test services can now be submitted online. At present, about 60 per cent of IDP applications and 50 per cent of full driving licence renewal applications are submitted online.

     The eDL app supports iOS and Android operating systems. Members of the public can download and use it for free from the Apple App Store, Google Play or Huawei AppGallery.

     The Road Traffic (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, passed by the Legislative Council earlier, came into effect today. The Government specified the eDL's platform and form by a notice published in the Gazette today. DL holders may refer to the TD's thematic webpage and the Agent T Facebook page (www.facebook.com/AgentT.hk) for details.

Ends/Monday, September 15, 2025
Issued at HKT 14:00

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