Jakarta – Member of the Indonesian Parliament’s Commission III, Sarifuddin Sudding, proposed that driver’s licenses (SIM) and vehicle registration certificates (STNK) be valid for a lifetime. This proposal was previously rejected by the Constitutional Court (MK) for several reasons.
In a Hearing Meeting of Commission III of the Indonesian Parliament with the Indonesian National Police’s Traffic Corps (Korlantas), on Wednesday (November 4, 2024), Sudding reiterated his suggestion that SIM and STNK should not need to be renewed. According to Sudding, renewing SIM and STNK burdens the public.
“I once proposed that the renewal of SIM, STNK, and TNKB should be done just once for a lifetime, like the ID card (KTP). This is to relieve the burden on the public because these are just small documents, but the costs are tremendous. And those costs are imposed on the public. I ask for this issue to be reviewed. Renewal of SIM, STNK, and TNKB should be done once, just like the ID card which is valid for life. SIM should also be valid for life,” said Sudding during the meeting with Korlantas Polri.
On the other hand, the Constitutional Court rejected the petition requesting that the driver’s license (SIM) be valid for life. According to the Court, the five-year validity period for SIM has already been carefully considered.
In its ruling, the Constitutional Court explained that the five-year validity period of a SIM is set to ensure the driver’s fitness, covering both physical and mental health aspects, for road safety.
Therefore, if a SIM were to be valid for life without evaluating a person’s fitness to drive, it would increase the safety risks on the road. These risks would not only affect the driver themselves but could also endanger others on the road.
“In relation to the five-year validity period for SIM, it was set by the lawmakers because this period is needed for evaluating and supervising the driver’s physical and mental health, as well as their competence or driving skills, taking into account the socio-cultural conditions of the community,” said Constitutional Court Justice Enny Nurbaningsih while reading the Court’s rationale during the ruling in September 2023.
According to her, the five-year validity period for SIM is deemed reasonable for evaluating any changes that may occur in the SIM holder. Over this period, changes are likely to happen.
“In a reasonable consideration, changes in the physical and mental health of the SIM holder may affect their competence or skills in driving a motor vehicle,” she explained.
“These changes could affect vision, hearing, motor functions, cognitive ability, psychomotor skills, and/or personality, all of which can impact a driver’s ability to operate a motor vehicle and navigate traffic in accordance with the type of SIM they hold,” she continued.
During the five-year period, there is also a possibility that the SIM holder’s personal information could change, such as name, face, address, or even fingerprints. Renewing the SIM within this time frame is important for updating the holder’s information, which supports law enforcement authorities in tracing the SIM holder’s whereabouts and family in the event of a traffic accident or their involvement in criminal activities.
“Additionally, the importance of conducting an evaluation during SIM renewal is because the physical and mental health checks every five years carry a social value: the safety of the SIM holder and others on the road must be respected and maintained. This is one of the key differences between an ID card (KTP), which is valid for life, and a driver’s license (SIM). Therefore, according to the Court, the petitioner’s argument that SIM should be valid for life, like an ID card, is legally unfounded,” the Court emphasized.
