ISO/IEC 18013-1:2005 Information technology - Personal identification - ISO-compliant driving licence - Part 1: Physical characteristics and basic data set
This part of ISO/IEC 18013 establishes guidelines for the design format and data content of an ISO compliant
driving licence (IDL) in regard to both visual human-readable features and ISO machine-readable technologies. It
creates a common basis for international use and mutual recognition of the IDL without impeding individual
national/community/regional motor vehicle authorities in taking care of their specific needs.
The design approach of the IDL ISO ID-1 size card and accompanying booklet with sleeve insert pocket is intended
to replace the international driving permit (IDP) paper document (see annex G).
The basis of document design premises includes
• a minimum common mandatory data element set;
• a common layout for ease of recognition;
• minimum security requirements.
At the discretion of national/community/regional motor vehicle authorities, it
• allows for inclusion of supplementary optional data elements to meet the needs of specific
national/community/regional requirements apart from the minimum common mandatory data element set;
• allows for the incorporation of ISO/IEC JTC1/SC17 machine-readable technologies including magnetic
stripe, integrated circuit with contacts, contactless integrated circuit and optical memory technology, and
ISO/IEC JTC1/SC31 1-dimensional / 2-dimensional bar codes, at the option of national/community/regional
authorities;
• allows for the incorporation of current and future technologies (including biometrics, cryptography, data
compression) at the option of national/community/regional authorities;
• allows for additional document physical security elements at the option of national/community/regional
authorities, and facilitates international procurements.
A major benefit of these design premises is that a single card may serve a dual purpose of both a
national/community/regional licence as well as an internationally recognized licence. Therefore, one card, in some
cases, can replace the need for two documents. Alternatively, those countries that choose to maintain their
individual domestic design can issue a second card with or without ISO machine-readable technologies to replace
the current IDP paper document.
This new IDL design yields a document that
• is more secure from counterfeiting and alteration than the previous IDP document;
• allows authorities to verify the authenticity of the document;
• integrates the personal data into a secure ID-1 size medium;
• allows a more reliable identification of the licence holder;
• allows for machine-readable technologies;
• facilitates information exchange and mutual recognition among motor vehicle authorities;
• allows the domestic driving licence (DDL) that meets this Standard to serve simultaneously as an ISO
compliant driving licence (IDL).
ISO/IEC 18013-1:2005 history
2018ISO/IEC 18013-1:2018 Information technology — Personal identification — ISO-compliant driving licence — Part 1: Physical characteristics and basic data set
2005ISO/IEC 18013-1:2005 Information technology - Personal identification - ISO-compliant driving licence - Part 1: Physical characteristics and basic data set