Is it enough for drivers to show documents on MyGov to traffic police officers?

A serious dispute has arisen between two state agencies in Uzbekistan regarding the recognition of digital (electronic) forms of driver's licenses, passports, and ID cards. While the "Uzkomnazorat" inspectorate states that electronic documents are sufficient, the Ministry of Internal Affairs' Road Safety Service (RSS) denies this, relying on old documents. Zamin.uz has investigated the details of this legal collision that interests millions of drivers.

Where did the RSS go wrong? A rebuttal reflecting an outdated decision

The situation began with a video circulated by the "Uzkomnazorat" inspectorate. It emphasized that from now on, it is sufficient for drivers to show documents to a traffic police officer via phone in electronic form. Shortly after, the RSS issued an official rebuttal, stating that drivers are still required to carry the originals (plastic or paper forms) of their documents.

However, it turned out that in its rebuttal, the RSS used a screenshot reflecting an outdated version of a government decree. A significant amendment to the rules was made by the Cabinet of Ministers' decree dated May 21 of this year, which entered into force on May 22.

According to the new rule: It is specifically established that when the digital form of documents in the MyGov and "Ijtimoiy himoya" applications is presented, their paper or plastic copies shall not be required "by internal affairs bodies" (including traffic police officers).

Legal collision: In whose favor does the contradiction in legislation work?

There is a conflict (collision) here between the Code of Administrative Responsibility (CAR) and the Government decree. The Code still states that a driver must carry documents with them and that failure to comply results in a fine of 1 BHM (Base Calculation Unit).

In terms of legal force, the Code takes precedence over a government decree. However, there is a Supreme Law that stands above the Code — the Constitution:

• Article 20 of the Constitution: All uncertainties and contradictions in legislation must be interpreted not in favor of state bodies, but in favor of the individual.

• Article 15 of the Constitution: The Basic Law has supreme legal force and acts directly.

Therefore, legally, it is considered illegal to fine a citizen when they present a document on their phone.

The problem of digitalization in the Ministry of Internal Affairs system

It has been exactly one year since digital documents were equated to paper forms (effective from July 1, 2025). Yet, the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the RSS are still tiredlessly repeating that "the original document is mandatory." If there had been a desire and initiative within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the necessary amendments would have been made to the Administrative Code during this time, and this elementary convenience would have been fully implemented.

At a meeting held by the head of state at the beginning of this year, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs responsible for information technologies, Zufar Kurbanov, was severely criticized for this very reason. It was stated that he had not shown significant results in digitizing the system for two years and was delaying the task of transforming the traffic police into a service-oriented structure for the population.

What is the advanced foreign experience?

In many countries around the world, this problem has long become a thing of the past: