The format of the Hong Kong driving licence has undergone evolutionary changes over the years. It has been issued in the form of a printed book with a beige hard cover until the early 1970s (Figure 1). The book was of an identity card size comprising 38 pages, with bilingual specifications. The licence specifications, including the licence number, name and residential address of the licence holder, were manually written on the book. The official receipts of the licence fees together with the photograph and signature of the licensee were included as part of driving licence. The renewal records of the licence and the provisional driving licence, the precedent of the learner's driving licence, were also incorporated as part of the book of Hong Kong Driving Licence.

In early 1970s, the Transport Department introduced first generation of Vehicles And Drivers Licensing Integrated Data (VALID) System which is a computer based information system for registration and licensing of vehicles and drivers by maintaining the databases of vehicle records and driving licence records. Since then the particulars on the driving licence were computer-printed and the licences have since been issued in the form of a laminated card of credit card size (Figure 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7). 

The Transport Department has introduced the electronic driving licence and electronic driving instructor's licence (collectively referred to as "eDLs") starting from 15 September 2025. This initiative allows licence holders to choose to display their eDLs on their smartphones via the eDL mobile application, fulfilling the relevant statutory requirements of carrying or producing a driving licence for examination or inspection, thereby bringing more convenience to licence holders. For details, please click here to refer to our thematic webpage on eDL.