In this article we shall take a look at the procedure and the requirements to apply for a driving licence online in India.
Driving licence is a universal concept. Anyone who wishes to drive a motor vehicle has to go through a test and upon passing it is licenced by the government as eligible to drive vehicles without causing any danger to the surroundings.
However, prior to the introduction of the Adhaar card, driving licence had another crucial role with the Indian demographic. In the absence of an official identity card, the driving licence was acceptable as a n identity card for almost all purposes. This meant that even people with no vehicles applied for driving licences so that they could use it for various formalities as an identity card. So the driving licence is much more than just a certification of the ability to drive safely. It is a source of identity for the common man.
So it goes without saying that the amount of administrative work involving various aspects of the driving licence is humungous. Hence the government has been proactively using technology to bridge the gaps formed due to the shortfall in manpower handling the overwhelming burden of the work. In this article we are going to look at how people can perform various administrative activities with regard to driving licence online.
Types Of Driving License
Let us first take a look at the different types of driving licences issued by the authorities in India.
There are six main types of driving licences that are issued by the authorities. They are:
- Learning licence
- Permanent licence
- International driving licence
- Duplicate driving licence
- Light motor vehicle licence
- Heavy motor vehicle licence
Let us take a look at the fees charged by the authorities to issue these licenses.
| Type of service | Fees |
| Grant of Learner’s License for each class of vehicle (on paper) | ₹ 30 |
| Permanent Driving License on Smart Card | ₹ 200 |
| International Driving Permit (on paper) | ₹ 500 |
| Renewal of Driving License on Smart Card | ₹ 250 |
| Driving test for each class of vehicle | ₹ 50 |
| Endorsement of new class of vehicle on Smart Card DL | ₹ 200 |
| Renewal of DL on Smart Card after expiry of grace period | ₹ 200 + penalty @ ₹ 50 per year or part thereof |
Driving License Required Documents And Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria to apply for a driving licence is quite simple and twofold.
- Applicant must be a permanent resident of India
- Applicant must be of at least 16 years of age for a learner’s license and 18 years of age for a permanent licence
The following documents and information must be furnished by the applicant at the time of making the application:
- Address proof (ration card, voter ID card, electricity bill, Aadhar card, water bill, PAN card)
- Age proof (birth certificate, 10th class mark sheet, voter ID card)
- Mobile number
- Passport size photograph
Procedure To Apply For Driving License
The following is the step by step procedure to apply for a driving license online:
- Go to the official website of the Ministry Of Road Transport And Highways. The homepage will open before you
- On the homepage, you are required to select your state
- Now you have to click on the link that says ‘Apply Driving licence’
- Now you will be redirected to a new page where some information will be present
- You have to read this information and click on continue
- Next, you have to enter your learner licence number and date of birth
- After that, you have to click on ok
- Now driving licence online form will open before you
- You have to enter all the required details in the form
- After that, you have to attach all the required documents
- Now you have to choose the time for the DL appointment
- Then you have to pay the driving licence fees as prescribed
- After that you have to click on submit
Procedure To View Driving License Status
Once the application has been made, you can check the status of your application as follows:
- Go to the official website of the Ministry Of Road Transport And Highways. The homepage will open before you
- On the homepage, now select your state
- Now you have to click on the ‘Application Status’ link
- As soon as you click on this link you will redirect to a new page where you have to enter your driving licence application number, date of birth and captcha code
- Now you have to click on submit
- Application status will be on your computer screen.
Procedure To Renew Driving License
All driving licences are issued with an expiry date. On expiry one can go and renew the licence. Depending on the case, you may or may not be required to retake the test.
- First of all, you have to download the form given here
- Now you have to take a printout of the DL Renewal Application Form it
- After that you have to fill in all the required information in the form like your name, father’s name, driving licence number, address, phone number etc.
- Now you have to attach all the required documents to this form
- Next you have to pay the application fees
- After that, you have to submit this form to the RTO office closest to your official place of residence.
Procedure to Get a Duplicate Driving License
In the event of loss of driving licence, one can apply for a duplicate driving licence. The following are the steps to apply for one online.
- Go to the RTO office that issued the original licence
- Now take the application form LL.D from there
- After that, you have to fill in all the required information in this form
- Now if you have an original licence you have to attach that licence otherwise you have to attach 1 verified photocopy of DL
- Now you have to submit the application fees
- After that, you have to submit the form to the RTO office.
E-mail id : helpdesk-sarathi@gov.in
Conclusion:-
As mentioned before, a driving license has a different kind of importance in our country and is one of those basic documents that everyone must have. You can know more with Vakilsearch.
That is why the government has taken these extra measures to ensure that all driving license related issues are resolved through simple and efficient means so as to avoid an overload of administrative paperwork and red tape. If you have any other queries or require any help with regard to legal or regulatory matters, feel free to get in touch with us and we will ensure that you receive the best professional help for your requirements.
Also, Read:
