Electronic driver's license in Mexico — This is not a separate document, but a digital copy of a valid license issued by the authorities. This is the same driver’s license, only it is displayed in the official application or on the website of the government agency, with the same data, validity period and legal status. It contains verification tools, in particular QR codes, which allow the traffic police officer to verify the authenticity of the document in real time when you show the digital ID from the screen of your phone.
In Mexico, digital rights are treated the same as regular plastic ones. According to clarifications from the Mexico City Mobility Secretariat (Semovi), from October 2022 electronic driving licenses will be accepted throughout the country. This is legally regulated by an agreement between federal and regional structures responsible for road traffic. This applies to digital rights issued in any state in Mexico.
A driver traveling to other states is no longer tied to a physical card as the only proof of his or her right to drive. A digital license issued in Mexico City, for example, is formally recognized in other states as an official document, since it confirms the presence of a valid permit.
However, the digital rights system is not without its caveats. If for technical reasons — lack of internet, device failure or inability to read the QR code — A traffic police officer does not have the right to check the data of a digital ID; he has the right to demand the presentation of a physical ID. This does not negate the legitimacy of the digital license, but it does indicate the need to still have physical rights just in case.
A digital license can be issued for both temporary and permanent driving licences. If the physical card has expired, consider that the digital rights have also expired. If physical rights are still valid, but are damaged so much that the data on them is unreadable, digital rights can completely replace them.
For many drivers in the Mexican capital, the digital version has become virtually the only document used. You do not need to carry your plastic license with you all the time. If the driver has lost his plastic card, re-issuing a physical copy is not considered mandatory — This is the official position of Semovi. Moreover, current legislation directly allows driving a car only with a digital document, which a few years ago would have looked controversial from a legal point of view.
A driver's license in Mexico remains a single legal document confirming the right to drive, but has the ability to exist in two formats — physical and digital, equivalent in terms of law. And although the electronic format is already officially in effect throughout the country, locally, especially in other states, the application of such rights may still be limited by the availability of opportunities to verify them (availability of scanners and Internet access) at a particular time and in a particular place.