The canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden is introducing an electronic version of the learner’s license. It is saved in a smartphone application and can be validated with a QR code. In 2025, the system should be available throughout Switzerland and provide new knowledge for the introduction of the future e-ID.
People learning to drive in Switzerland should in future be able to obtain an electronic learner’s license. The canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden is taking a first step in this direction. Those who have passed the theoretical exam for category B (passenger cars) can already obtain their student driver’s license in electronic form, communicate the Confederation and the canton.
The electronic student driver’s permit (ePEC) is issued by the automobile service of Appenzell Ausserrhoden (AR) and stored by student drivers in an electronic wallet on their smartphone. People who need to present it, for example at the start of a driving lesson or during a traffic check, can do so via a QR code. The data thus transmitted allows driving schools or the police to check the validity of the license.
The ePEC is recognized throughout Switzerland and in the Principality of Liechtenstein, the press release added. Furthermore, there are plans to expand the pilot project. In 2025, learner driver’s licenses will be able to be obtained electronically in all cantons and for all categories of vehicles.
A step towards e-ID
This pilot project is supported by the Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) and the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO), the Association of Swiss Automobile Services (asa) and the Automobile Service of Appenzell Ausserrhoden. The Wallet application necessary for the E-LFA and the IT systems required for its operation were developed jointly, writes the Confederation. They are based on a trust infrastructure operated by the Federal Office of Informatics and Telecommunications (FOIT).
The authorities see ePEC as a pilot for electronic identification (e-ID), which will probably be introduced in 2026. Broadly speaking, e-ID should work like ePEC. This is why the electronic student permit is used to test different practical aspects. In addition to technical issues, the pilot project should provide information on how users use this type of digital evidence. These lessons will be taken into account in the development of the e-ID.
The National Council approved the legal basis for the e-ID in March 2024. The file is now in the hands of the Council of States. It appears that the Confederation no longer seems to have any doubts about the imminent introduction of the e-ID, given that it also presupposes it for other digital projects. At the beginning of May, it proposed in the ordinance on transplantation an organ donor register with connection via e-ID.
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