Is the Electronic Driver's License Nationwide in 2021?
2 Answers
2021 electronic driver's license is nationwide. Below are the relevant details about the electronic driver's license: 1. Pilot cities: Tianjin, Chengdu, Suzhou. Currently, only these three cities are implementing the electronic driver's license as pilot projects, and it is valid nationwide. Based on the pilot results, more cities will be selected in the second half of the year to expand the pilot, with full nationwide promotion planned for 2022. 2. Implementation date: Starting from June 1, 2021. 3. Legal effect: The electronic driver's license has the same legal effect as the paper version. If stopped by traffic police for a license check, vehicle owners in pilot cities can present their electronic driver's license. The obtained electronic driver's license can prove that the driver has a valid license when the physical one is not available. Traffic police are not allowed to penalize drivers for 'not carrying a valid paper driver's license.'
In 2021, the electronic driver's license wasn't yet universally accepted nationwide. I remember back then it was only piloted in a few major cities like Shanghai and Beijing where the digital version could be used, but in other areas, you still needed to carry the physical license for peace of mind when driving. Once when I traveled to a second-tier city and forgot my physical card, I got stopped by traffic police and had to explain for quite a while—it was quite troublesome. Honestly, the electronic driver's license is really convenient; just a quick scan with your phone can verify your identity, but the policy hadn't been fully rolled out yet. Everyone should pay attention to notifications from local traffic authorities, and it's best to download the Traffic Management 12123 app to check, to avoid fines or points. Overall, 2021 was a transition period, and it wasn't until 2022 that it truly became nationwide, making driving much more convenient.
