'Can I use a saved image of my license for driving?’ [Newbie Guide]

Technology has evidently made everyday life more convenient, especially when it comes to car ownership. Many features that previously entailed bulky documents are now within reach with just a few taps and clicks on a screen.

If you're in the habit of just having a picture of your license saved on your phone, think again

If you have a question that can’t be answered by the owner’s manual, just post a query on your car club’s social media page. Going to an unfamiliar place? Leave that clunky map at home and open your preferred navigational app instead. If you’re particularly resourceful, you can even find and download a digitized copy of your car’s service manual from cyberspace.

But sometimes, we tend to lean a little too much on gadgetry at the expense of being law-abiding citizens. Take the driver’s license, for instance. Some motorists bring photocopies or take pictures of their license using their phones, under the assumption that these serve as sufficient proof of their driving status when they’re apprehended.

Philippine driving regulations explicitly state that drivers must carry their physical license every time they operate a motor vehicle. An important reason is so that it can be readily checked on the spot if it’s counterfeit, as the actual license card is easier to examine than a digital image.

The law mandates that duly licensed motorists must have the physical license cards when driving

It's hard to justify not carrying your license around, especially if you’re duly authorized to drive a car or motorcycle, anyway. The card itself has been purposefully made small so that it can easily be slipped into a wallet. If anything, the license should serve as something of a bragging right (but not too much, though) that you’re capable of independent mobility.  

What if you happen to lose your license yet still have the digital image saved on your phone? The file merely serves as proof that you once had a license, and it will certainly help with getting a new one. But again, it’s no substitute for the actual card when you drive.

Before we forget, there’s a penalty for failing to bring your valid driver's license with you, amounting to Php 1,000 (apart from having a permanent record of your violation). This is different from being actually unlicensed to drive, which carries a bigger fine. Either way, as you probably know by now, there are better ways to spend that money.

Find more tips for beginner car owners at Philkotse.com.