2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 27 - Vehicle and Traffic Law (2000) › Subchapter II - Requirements and Procedure for Issuance, Expiration and Renewal of Driver’s Licenses (§§ 5051 — 5077) › § 5063 - Driver’s license certificates

The Secretary shall issue a certificate to every person authorized to operate a motor vehicle stating the fact of such authorization. The certificate shall contain, in Spanish and in English, the name and all other descriptive data of the person to whom said certificate is issued, a digital headshot in which the person’s features are clearly recognizable, date of birth, gender, home address, driver’s digital signature or mark (which shall be added in the presence of an authorized agent of the Department in order to certify the driver’s digital signature or mark) or any other biometric system stipulated by the Secretary as per § 5001(92) of this title, blood type, license identification number as designated by the Secretary through regulations, veteran designation (to those individuals who qualify and show proof of veterans status such as the DD214 Military Discharge Certificate indicating honorable discharge), type of license issued, applicable restrictions, if any, and issuance and expiration dates. The identification number shall be maintained throughout all renewals, provided said renewals are authorized pursuant to the provisions of § 5064 of this title.
The identification card shall also include security points designed to prevent its falsification or duplication for fraudulent purposes, and it shall contain technology that is readable by common equipment, with the elements of the minimum data defined by the Department of Homeland Security.
In addition to the information referred to above, the Secretary shall include in the license certificate any information deemed pertinent in his/her judgment, including at least the blood type of the holder and whether or not he/she is an organ or tissue donor pursuant to the applicable laws. The Secretary shall also include, by petition of the holder of the license certificate, if the holder suffers from hearing loss and the degree thereof. However, in the case of provisional driver’s licenses authorized under § 5078 of this title, and provisional learner’s permit authorized under § 5079 of this title, the Secretary shall not include the immigration status or the citizenship of the person to whom such license was issued.
The Secretary shall include in the driver’s license certificate a symbol identifying a driver as a safe driver. A safe driver shall be deemed to be one who, during the period of effectiveness prior to the renewal of his/her driver’s license, has not caused an accident involving another motor vehicle and, at the same time, has not committed a violation of this chapter. The Secretary may establish through regulations the requirements he/she deems necessary for people engaged in filling out the aforementioned medical certifications.
The Secretary shall establish through regulations the design features of the driver’s license certificate, as well as any other useful features deemed convenient for the same. Every person to whom a license certificate has been issued pursuant to the provisions of this section shall carry it while driving a motor vehicle on public roads. Whenever said certificate is lost, stolen or destroyed, the person to whom it has been issued may request a duplicate after stating through a sworn statement to such effect the circumstances of such loss, theft, or destruction. The Secretary may issue a duplicate if he/she finds said statement acceptable.
In those cases where the person requesting a driver’s license certificate is registered in the Registry of Persons Convicted of Violent Sexual Crimes and Child Abuse, the Secretary shall order that an alphanumerically coded restriction be noted in his/her certificate, which shall mean that the person shall not be able to drive motor vehicles that transport students or commercial vehicles that transport passengers.
History —Jan. 7, 2000, No. 22, § 3.13; Oct. 9, 2000, No. 414, § 15; Aug. 21, 2009, No. 88, § 5; Feb. 24, 2011, No. 22, § 1; Apr. 27, 2012, No. 68, § 1; June 12, 2014, No. 65, § 1, eff. 180 days after June 12, 2014.