Driving Licence Documents And Eligibility Criteria

About Documents and Eligibility

Having a driving licence in India is mandatory by law under the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988. If you have a motor vehicle, you need a valid driving licence to drive on Indian roads. Driving licence in India is issued by the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) or Regional Transport Office (RTO) of each state.

The process of acquiring a permanent driving licence is easy and straightforward. However, it can be a time-consuming process. For those who are learning to drive a motor vehicle for the first time should apply for a learning driving licence. The learner’s licence permit is valid for six months, after which the applicant has to appear for a driving test to obtain a permanent licence.

In this section, we’ve discussed in detail the documents and eligibility criteria for obtaining a driving licence in India.

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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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