Experts warn – it will be expensive for you without an eID card

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ID cards, such as driving licenses, can be presented digitally. But if this doesn’t work, it can be expensive.
ID cards, such as driving licenses and registration certificates, can be presented in Austria via ID-Austria. But experts warn if it doesn’t work.

The digital driver’s license has been a reality in Austria for some time now, followed by the digital registration certificate this year. The implementation is practical: ID Austria allows owners of the documents to “digitize” them in just a few moments and then use them with the “eAusweise” app. This means that during vehicle checks, users can simply show the documents in digital form on their smartphone.
However, the insurance company Ergo now wants to warn of the consequences if you use the eAusweise differently than intended or if the app doesn’t work when you need it. “The risk of the digital proof not working is borne by the driver,” said the Ergo lawyers. And that can quickly become expensive when it comes to an inspection by the authorities.
“If the battery is empty, the smartphone is defective, the app cannot be opened, the ID card cannot be loaded or the internet connection is interrupted, this is considered a violation of the legal regulations and is treated as if you do not have your ID documents with you,” says Ergo. “If you forget your driving license or registration certificate but it is still valid, you will have to pay at least 20 euros, and in practice probably more.”
However, an exception applies “if the control unit of the control device is defective or does not work. This is because such problems must not be detrimental to the driver”. “Since the digital driving license and registration certificate are a complete replacement, the enforcement body must find another way to carry out the check,” it says. The situation is different, however, if the driver’s ID card does not work.

“However, if a driver is unable to present either the required physical documents or the digital ones, there is a risk of administrative penalties,” said the lawyers. And: “It is also important to note that any required supplementary documents, such as approval certificates, the contents of which are not included in the digital registration certificate, must still be carried physically.”

In addition, the ID cards are initially only valid in Austria and do not have to be recognized as an identification document in the private sector, and the conventional registration certificate must still be presented elsewhere, such as at a §57a assessment body.