Brazil rolls out digital driving licenses

The Brazilian government is rolling out digital driving licenses across the country after the initiative received the green light in July.

Aimed at reducing document fraud, the digital driving licenses will feature digital signature certificates and will be as legally valid as the physical document, which will continue to exist.

The rollout of the mobile-based license app has already started in the state of Goiás and has been extended to other states this week.

It is expected that all 27 Brazilian states will be able to offer the digital license by February 2018. The government hopes that approximately 1,5 million drivers will be using the digital license by 2022.

The digital document is also aimed at speeding up checks by the authorities, who will be able to verify its authenticity and related information via a QR code.

In order to use the digital document, license holders will need to enter a password. Access to it can also be blocked in cases such as loss of the smartphone where the app is installed.

Additionally, citizens will be able to use the digital version of their license as a valid means of identification in other places such as banks, notaries and car rental agencies.