Sri Lanka Police have told officers nationwide that motorists presenting valid digital motor insurance cards must not be turned away, and that those who ignore the instruction could face disciplinary action.
Deputy Inspector General W.P.J. Senadheera, who heads the Traffic Control and Road Safety Range, told a media briefing on Thursday that traffic officers have been instructed not to issue charge sheets to motorists solely for failing to produce a digital insurance card. Causing inconvenience to motorists by disregarding the Inspector General of Police’s instructions on digital cards would amount to a serious dereliction of duty, he said.
The warning follows complaints and social media footage of officers refusing to accept electronic insurance documents. Senadheera pointed to a recent incident involving the Officer-in-Charge of the Traffic Division at Padukka Police Station, and an earlier one involving an officer attached to Gampaha Headquarters Police. Daily Mirror reported that complaints had been received that officers at both stations had harassed members of the public by refusing the cards.
“Your digital insurance card is valid,” Senadheera said.
What officers have been told
The IGP has instructed every police station to accept digital insurance cards issued by the 14 insurance companies approved by the Insurance Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka, under an additional instruction dated 5 May 2026. The cards carry full legal recognition under the Electronic Transactions Act No. 19 of 2006.
Where a motorist cannot immediately produce the card, officers have three free ways to check cover:
- Dial *1338# and enter the vehicle or policy number
- Send an SMS to 1338
- Call the 1338 call centre
Senadheera stressed that the check does not have to be run on the motorist’s phone — an officer can use their own handset or any available device. Instructions have been reissued to junior officers through the Officers-in-Charge of all 607 police stations on the island.
(Hiru News reported these channels as *138# and a 138 call centre. The four-digit 1338 short code is the one given by Daily Mirror and by the police notice issued when the verification system launched in May.)
How to complain
Motorists refused by an officer can raise it with the relevant OIC or a senior officer, or contact the Traffic Headquarters number 070 475 5600, which Hiru News reports also accepts WhatsApp messages with details of the incident. Senadheera said strict disciplinary action would follow against officers who breach the instructions where a complaint is lodged.
Context
Printed insurance certificates began giving way to digital cards on 1 May, in a change agreed by the IRCSL and the insurance industry. Police set out the verification channels on 10 May, and insurers said later that month that physical cards would eventually be phased out entirely. Thursday’s briefing is the first time the force has publicly threatened its own officers with discipline over the rollout.
Not reported
Neither outlet said how many complaints have been received, whether any officer has been disciplined, or what became of the motorists charged at Padukka and Gampaha.
