Types of Driving Licence
Before we get to the eligibility and documents needed for obtaining a driving licence in India, here’s a gist of the two types of driving licences available.
- Learning Licence: If you are learning to drive/ride a motor vehicle, you will need a learner’s licence. You have to appear for a small questionnaire at the RTO, submit the relevant documents, and get a learning licence. However, the permit is valid for six months. If you still need additional time to finesse your driving skills before you appear for the permanent driving licence test, you will have to reapply for the learning licence.
- Permanent Licence: You can apply for a permanent driving licence after one month of obtaining the learner’s licence. Here, you will have to appear for a practical examination at the RTO, where your driving skills will be put to test. Based on how you perform, the examiner will pass/fail you. If you pass the test, proceed to submit the necessary documents and pay a nominal fee. The permanent driving licence will be issued to you shortly. However, if you fail the driving exam, you can reappear for it after seven days.
Further, we’ve discussed the eligibility and documents needed to obtain a driving licence in India.
Eligibility for Driving Licence
A driving licence and learner’s permit is issued based on the class of motor vehicle. Based on this, the eligibility criteria vary. The following table gives an overview of the most common class of vehicles in India.
Category of Use |
Motor Vehicle Class |
Personal use |
Motorcycles with engine capacity of 50 cc or less than 50 cc (MC 50cc) |
Light Motor Vehicle used for non-transport purposes (LMV-NT) |
Motorcycles of any engine capacity but with no gears like scooters and mopeds (FVG) |
Motorcycles with a capacity of 50 CC or more, motorcycles with gear and Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) including cars (MC EX50cc) |
All types of Motorcycles including Motorcycle with gear (MCWG or M/CYCL.WG) |
Commercial Use |
Heavy Goods Motor Vehicle (HGMV) |
Light Motor Vehicle used for commercial purposes (LMV-TR) |
All India driving permit for trucks and cars or open license / Heavy Passenger Motor Vehicle (HPMV) |
Light Motor Vehicle for non-transport purposes (LMV-NT) |
Medium Goods Vehicle (MGV) |
Now that you’ve a brief on the class of motor vehicle that you should apply for, let us look at the eligibility criteria for obtaining a driving licence in India.
Type of Driving License |
Eligibility Criteria for Driving Licence |
Motorcycles with Gear |
The applicant should be at least 18 years old. |
Motorcycles Without Gear with Up To 50 Cc Capacity |
The applicant should be at least 16 years old and needs consent from guardian/parents. |
General Requirement for Obtaining A Driving License |
The applicant must be well-versed with the traffic rules. Also, they require a valid address and age proof documents. |
Commercial Heavy Vehicles and Transport Vehicles |
The applicant must have finished their 8th standard of schooling. They should be at least 18 years old. However, the age restriction is 20 years old in some states for heavy vehicle licence. |
Note that whether you are applying for a learning licence or permanent driving licence, the eligibility criteria remain the same.
Documents Required for Driving Licence in India
The applicant has to submit a set of documents along with the driving licence application. The table below gives an overview of the documents needed when applying for a learning licence and permanent driving licence in India.
Driving Licence Type |
Documents Required |
Permanent Driving Licence |
Proof of age (Any one of these needs to be submitted by the applicant) ● Certificate of birth ● Voter ID card ● School leaving certificate ● PAN card ● Passport Proof of Address (Any one of these needs to be submitted by the applicant) ● Passport ● Life insurance policy ● Ration card ● Electricity or telephone bill ● Salary slip issued by the state or central government Other documents needed: ● Original learner’s licence ● Driving licence application form ● Medical certificate/forms ● 3 passport size photographs Additionally, a certificate issued from a driving school needs to be submitted, if you are applying for a driving licence to drive a commercial vehicle. Documents related to car insurance as well as RC certificates of the vehicle to be used during the driving test are also needed. |
Learning Driving Licence |
Learner’s driving licence documents are similar to the ones above. You need a form declaring your physical fitness, application form for learner’s licence along with a document each as age and address proof from the ones mentioned above. Together with all these, 3 copies of passport sized photographs of the applicant are also required. |
Documents Required for Duplicate Driving Licence
If your driving licence is stolen or damaged, you can apply for a duplicate licence either online or offline, directly at the same RTO that issued your driver’s licence. Some of the duplicate driving licence documents that need to be submitted include:
- A FIR (First Information Report) confirming the loss of driver’s licence in case of theft
- Original driving licence in a torn or damaged state
- A Challan clearance report stating that there are no outstanding bills or tickets connected to the driver's licence. This needs to be applied for separately and then submitted only for those driving a commercial vehicle
- Application Form LLD to verify either the loss or destruction of driving licence and application for a duplicate one
- A photocopy of the driving licence
- Driving licence details
- Passport size photographs
- A proof of address for reference
- A proof of age for reference
A duplicate driving licence with an expiry similar to the original is issued after the details furnished above are cross-checked with the information already available.
Documents Required for Driving Licence Renewal
A driving licence is issued for 20 years or up to 50 years of age, or the earlier of either. You can apply for renewal of driver’s licence within 30 days of its expiry either online or directly at the nearest RTO. Here are a few documents required for driving licence renewal:
- A form requesting renewal of driving licence
- Form declaring the physical fitness of the applicant
- Medical certificate Form 1(A) to be submitted by those above 50 years of age
- 3 passport size photographs
- If you are applying for renewal of your driving licence at an RTO other than the one where you applied for an original driving licence, you need to submit a No Objection Certificate
- Application fees as required
Driving Licence Fees
Here’s an updated fee structure for obtaining a driving licence in India.
Learning Licence Fees |
|
Amount |
Form 3 |
Rs. 30 |
Form 6 |
Rs. 40 |
Road Safety Cess |
Rs. 50 |
Permanent Licence Fees |
|
Amount |
Driving Licence Test |
Rs. 100 |
Form 7 |
Rs. 200 |
Driving Licence Grant |
Rs. 40 |
Road Safety Cess For a Licence for 2-Wheeler, With/Without Gear |
Rs. 100 |
Road Safety Cess For a Licence for Light Motor Vehicles (Non-Transport) |
Rs. 150 |
Road Safety Cess For a Licence for Light Motor Vehicles (Transport) |
Rs. 200 |
Road Safety Cess For a Licence for Medium and Heavy Motor Vehicles |
Rs. 500 |
Conclusion
Once you are sure of your learners licence and drivers licence eligibility and documentation and finally get a valid driver’s licence, it is important to get your vehicle insured to safeguard it from any untoward incident in the future.
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