The Hong Kong Transport Department will issue electronic driving licences to vehicle owners by the end of 2024, officials said on Friday. According to a report in The Standard, the government will also launch a “dedicated one-stop electronic licence application platform” by the middle of the year on which users can check licence-related information, such as date of expiry and points deducted for driving offences.
Drivers can use their phones to display the new digital licences, which will come with a QR code for police to scan while checking the validity of a licence during law enforcement procedures. Vehicle owners will need to download an app to view their licences, and prove their identity using the HKSAR government’s iAM Smart app.
The new online system scheduled to go live in June 2024 will also send licence holders email and SMS notices when they need to renew their documents. In addition, the issue of vehicle permits and licence plate auctions will also go digital by the middle of this year.
The vehicle registration marks auctions for traditional and personalised licence plate numbers are held twice a month at the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre in Wan Chai. According to a report in the South China Morning Post, the bidding process for traditional licence plates will go online first, “to gauge the public acceptance of the online process”.
Last year, the Transport Department debuted an online platform to issue international driving permits. Applicants can pay HK$80 to get their permits within 10 working days, as long as they have a valid Hong Kong Identity Card and address proof, a driving licence, an iAM Smart + account, and a credit card or FPS account.
Header image credits: Leung Cho Pan via Canva
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