FAQ: Malaysia's digital driving license and road tax on MyJPJ - all your questions answered

Effective today 10-February 2023, the Ministry of Transport has confirmed that it will no longer enforce Section 20 of the Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 333) pertaining the display of motor vehicle license (commonly known as ‘road tax’), but emphasized that the exemption is limited only to private vehicles.

This will mean that most of you will no longer have to display your vehicle's road tax on the windscreen.

The exemption is enforced under powers granted to the Minister of Transport under Section  127 (1) (b) Road Transport Act 1987.

Legal terms aside, here’s what you need to know.

As a refresher, note that there is no such thing as ‘road tax,’ since the payment collected does not go in to maintenance of roads, but into the government's coffers.

Also read: Road tax paid to JPJ don’t go to road maintenance, so what are we paying for?

However since ‘road tax’ is a term that has been used by Malaysians since colonial days and keeping it in today's language makes for easy communication with the public, the government will keep referring to Motor Vehicle License (Lesen Kenderaan Motor, or LKM) as ‘road tax.’

Also digitized is your driving license, meaning that you no longer need to keep the physical driving license in your purse / wallet.

What has changed with the MyJPJ digital driving license and road tax?

In simple terms, there are now digital copies of your driving license and road tax on the MyJPJ mobile app. The police and JPJ recognize these digital copies in place of physical ones. Everything else, from validity of your driving documents to renewal of road tax and driving license, will remain the same.

Does it include motorcycle road tax?

Yes.

Do I still need to pay for road tax?

Yes of course. At the same rate as before.

I can now remove the road tax sticker from my car? Really?

Yes, but please make sure you have downloaded and login to the MyJPJ app, and your vehicle’s road tax appears as valid, labelled green ‘Berkuatkuasa.’

I can leave my driving license at home? Really?

Same as above.

I have been stopped by the police but I lost my phone. How do I show my driving license?

Jokes on you. Follow the police’s / JPJ officer’s instructions. But it's same scenario if you have lost your wallet and along with it, your physical driving license.

I have been stopped by the police but I lost my phone? How do I show that my car has a valid road tax?

The Ministry of Transport has assured the public that the police and JPJ’s enforcement officers will check the vehicle’s registration details from their end, by entering the vehicle's license plate details into separate a secured app, on their own devices.

The burden of proof does not lie with the vehicle user, but on the enforcement officers.

My car is shared with my family. Will the vehicle’s road tax details be shared on my family member’s MyJPj?

No, the details are tied to the vehicle’s registered owner. If you are concerned, your family members can either keep a screen shot or printout of the road tax, but this is not necessary, really.

The Ministry of Transport has assured the public that the police and JPJ’s enforcement officers will check the vehicle’s registration details from their end, using a separate secured app, on their own devices. The burden of proof does not lie with the vehicle user, but on the enforcement officers.

I can’t login to MyJPJ

On the first day of rollout, many users have reported login issues. JPJ says its system is experiencing high traffic, so try again at a later time.

From our personal experience, some Android devices will experience first-time login issues, but you could already be logged even though the app says otherwise. Try clicking on the ‘Profil’ (Profile) tab.

I am logged into MyJPJ but I can’t find my vehicle’s road tax

Click the Profil (Profile) tab at the bottom of the screen, after that you will see two tabs in the middle – ‘Lesen Memandu’ and ‘Lesen Kenderaan Motor.’ Toggle between the two.

I have a learner’s (L) / provisional (P) driving license. Do I still need to keep a physical copy of my driving license?

Yes. Only holders of the full (Competent Driving License) driving license, without L or P label, can substitute their physical driving license with a digital one.

However, the next phase of JPJ’s digitization initiatives will include L and P licenses. For now, only physical copies L and P driving licenses are recognized.

Should I still request for a physical driving license?

If you have intention of driving overseas, yes you should. Authorities outside of Malaysia don't recognize the MyJPJ app or a digital copy of your driving license.

Also, international driving permits must be accompanied by a physical driving license.

How do I renew my digital driving license and road tax?

The same way as you have always been doing. JPJ kiosks, Pos Malaysia counters, MyEG online services, motor insurance agents, will continue to offer road tax and driving license renewal services.

The only difference is that now you will only get a receipt of your payment, without the physical road tax sticker / driving license (unless requested).

I am a Grab driver, do I still need a physical driving license and physical road tax?

Yes. Digital driving license and digital road tax are only allowed for private vehicle drivers.

Holders of vocational driving licenses - Public Service Vehicle (PSV), Goods Driving License (GDL), Conductor (KON) – and drivers of commercial-use vehicles including e-hailing cars are still required to keep physical copies of their driving license and road tax.

I work as a school bus / delivery van driver, do I still need a physical driving license and road tax?

Yes. Refer to the answer above.

I drive a van for my pasar malam business, do I still need a physical driving license and road tax?

Yes. Refer to the answer above.

I am a foreigner living in Malaysia but I hold a Malaysian driving license, do I still need a physical driving license?

Yes. Exemption is only for Malaysian citizens.

I drive a company-registered car, is that considered a commercial vehicle or private vehicle?

A company-registered car should not be confused with a commercial vehicle. There are 3 types of vehicle registrations in Malaysia - Private individual, Company individual, and Company commercial. Only the last of the three is considered a commercial vehicle.

Generally speaking, unless your company-registered vehicle has its company registration name painted on the front doors, or has white background number plates, or is an e-hailing car, it is a private vehicle.

Private vehicles, regardless of whether it is owned by a private individual or a company, are not allowed to carry commercial goods higher than the vehicle's window line. For pick-up trucks, only personal belongings and non-commercial items can be stored in the deck behind. 

Is my company-owned Toyota Hilux a private or commercial vehicle?

Refer to the above.

I still prefer to have a physical driving license and road tax, can I still do that?

Yes, you can. Digital driving license and road tax for private vehicles are just an option. The idea is to save road users from the hassle of physically going to JPJ counters, or paying additional fees to have their renewed driving license / road tax mailed to them.

My senior citizen parents are not comfortable with smartphones, what is the option for them?

Refer to the previous answer.

When will physical driving license and road tax be phased out in Malaysia?

There is no immediate plan to phase out physical driving license and road tax.

The digital road tax and digital driving license are optional for Malaysian road users, for their convenience of not having to physically go to JPJ counters for renewal, or pay more for courier services to renew their driving documents.