Digital road tax and licence: Here’s what you need to know

Malaysian private vehicle owners will no longer need to display their motor vehicle licences (commonly referred to as road tax) on the windscreen or carry a physical copy of their driving licence, effective Feb 10, 2023.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke said drivers can obtain digital copies of the two documents on the Road Transport Department’s (RTD) public portal (public.jpj.gov.my) or mobile application MyJPJ, which can be downloaded from the App Store, Play Store or Huawei App Gallery.

Which group of people will benefit from this exemption?

Currently, the exemption applies solely to Malaysian-owned private cars and motorcycles. Other types of vehicles, such as commercial, company-owned, public service (e.g. e-hailing), and those owned by foreigners, will be included gradually as the implementation is carried out in phases.

Why the need to digitise the system?

Transport Minister Anthony Loke explained that this would assist in easing congestion and long queues at Road Transport Department (RTD) counters since motorists will no longer need to obtain physical copies from these counters.

Nonetheless, Loke made it clear that this does not imply road users are exempt from paying fees to renew their road tax and license.

Loke further said the digitisation would save the government a total of RM96 million a year, which was previously used for the printing the road tax and driving licence.

“The amount can be channelled to improve the application and other needs,” he said, adding that the digitisation move had the received full support of the Finance Ministry and did not require any additional allocation.

MyJPJ app: How does it work?

Loke recommended the public to download the MyJPJ mobile app to access their digital motor vehicle licenses and driving licenses.

Through the app, drivers can check their personal information and details of their vehicle that is stored in the JPJ database. This includes their driving license, road tax, driving test results, summonses, and even reports of stolen cars.

“Enforcement officers will scan the QR code on the digital driving licence and road tax. It also can verify whether the digital driver’s licence and road tax are genuine or otherwise, as well as its validity.”

What if I do not have the MyJPJ app installed?

Loke assured motorists that it was not mandatory to download the MyJPJ mobile application nor do they need to keep a digital copy of their road tax or driver’s licence in hand.

This (app installation) is only one of the options to get a digital copy for road tax and driver’s license.

 Will I be issued with summons should I fail to show my digital road tax or licence?

The public will not be issued with summonses should they fail to provide a digital copy of their road tax or licence to the officers, Loke said.

He said enforcement officers can confirm the status of the road tax and the driver’s licence through their own gadgets.

What if I do not own a smartphone or don’t have internet access on the road?

A: Loke also addressed concerns of road users, particularly those who don’t have smartphones, or internet access, and senior citizens.

He emphasised that obtaining a physical road tax sticker and driving license from RTD is still an option.

“Don’t worry, the digital licence is not mandatory. You can still obtain the road tax sticker and a physical licence from RTD,” Loke wrote in his Facebook question and answer.

What if I’m driving someone else’s car?

Loke said those who have chosen to go completely digital and not use the road tax sticker can print a copy of the digital road tax to keep in the car.

In the case of authorities inquiring about the road tax, individuals other than the owner can show the printed copy.

However, Loke said it is not mandatory to keep a printed copy, and authorities can verify the information through their gadgets even without it.

“It’s simple, the digital road tax can be printed and kept in the car. However, even if you do not have a copy of it, it is not against the law. The authorities can check the details on their gadgets,” he said.