The need to carry a physical copy of your license and registration documents while driving has been overruled by the central government. Even though the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 mandates the driver to carry the physical copy, the central government has urged the state governments to issue directives to the regional transport officers to accept digital copies of documents.
However, images or PDFs of the documents will not be entertained by the RTOs. These documents must be uploaded on the government platforms like the DigiLocker and mParivahan to be accepted by the police.
Electronic records on DigiLocker and mParivahan, state-sponsored platforms, are deemed at par with original documents as per the IT Act, 2000. Also, with insurance companies updating vehicle insurance information daily, valid insurance policies will be reflected on the mParivahan app and in that case, a physical copy of the insurance policy also need not be produced.
With a view to digitising the economy and the country, these apps and interlinking between the insurance and government data will help plug the loopholes in the system while allowing car owners the freedom of not having to carry the physical documents all the time.
