Heavy Vehicle Licence - Overview 

A driving licence is essential to ride motor vehicles on Indian roads and it is the same for commercial vehicles. Indian commercial vehicles are generally classified into Light, Medium and Heavy commercial vehicles. Heavy commercial vehicles have a lion’s share in the Indian automobile industry. You can apply for a heavy vehicle licence online or offline in a few simple steps.

Heavy vehicles are used to transport passengers or goods across the states or country. Under the heavy licence category, there are two licence classes. They are HGMV (Heavy Goods Motor Vehicle) and HPMV (Heavy Passenger Motor Vehicle) licences. The HGMV category consists of vehicles like trailers, larger trucks, and others used for goods transport whereas the HPMV category has vehicles that have an All India Permit to carry passengers and run for commercial purpose. Let us check out the vehicles that fall in each category here.

Now, we have to understand the requirements for a heavy vehicle licence before making a move to apply for a heavy driving licence in India. Check out the list of documents given below. 

Heavy Vehicle Licence Eligibility

Before submitting an application for a heavy driving licence in India, you have to meet certain eligibility criteria. The eligibility criteria to be fulfilled are mentioned below:

• Age - The applicant must be above or 18 years of age to apply for a heavy vehicle licence.

• Educational Qualification - The applicant must have a minimum educational qualification of passing standard 8th and should be able to read and understand the basic road and traffic signs and symbols.

• Health Conditions- To apply for a heavy vehicle licence, the applicant must be in sound mental and physical health.

• Driver’s Training -The applicant should have been trained at a government authorised motor vehicle training school in India. The training institute should either be authorised by the state government or the central government. 

• Learner’s licence - Before the applicant attain a heavy vehicle driving licence, it is compulsory to have a learner’s licence.

After you have completed a course of coaching from a training institute, you are eligible to apply for a heavy vehicle licence. You can go for the  heavy licence online application method, or offline method by visiting an RTO near you. The procedure to apply for a heavy DL online is carried out via the official website of road transport affairs at the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India.

Documents Required to Apply for a Heavy Vehicle Licence

After you have ticked all the boxes related to your eligibility, you have to get certain documents in order. The following documents are required to apply for a heavy vehicle driving licence:

• Proof of Your Address - You have to submit your address proof which must be in your own name. This could be in the form of a passport, ration card, Aadhaar Card, utility bill, etc.

• Proof of Your Identity - You can submit an Aadhaar or PAN Card, a passport, a birth certificate, etc.

• Heavy Licence Application Form - To apply for a heavy vehicle licence, you have to fill in your details on an application form. The heavy vehicle licence online form can be downloaded from the website or can be procured from the nearest RTO.

• Passport Photographs

• Application Fees

Heavy Motor Vehicle Driving Licence Application Process

You may have submitted a heavy driving licence application, but will get one only after you pass a mandatory test. Primarily, there are two ways that you can get an HMV licence, either online or offline. The processes with steps are mentioned below:

1. How to Apply for Heavy Motor Vehicle Licence Online

• Step 1: Visit the website of Home | Parivahan Sewa | Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India.

• Step 2: On the Home Page, you will find a tab to ‘Apply Online’. Click on this.

• Step 3: Select the option that says, ‘New Driving Licence’.

• Step 4: Instructions to follow will show up and you have to fill out an application form with your required details.

• Step 5: Upload documents necessary and book an appointment to take a test.

• Step 6: Make a requisite payment.

• Step 7: You will have to take a printout of the application form and the receipt generated to carry to your driving test.

• Step 8: After your application has undergone processing, you will receive a message on your phone.

After you make out your application, checking its status is easy on the same official website of Parivahan. It's convenient to apply for an online heavy motor vehicle driving licence. Apply with a few clicks and your job is done. However, you can take the offline application route and visit the RTO closest to you. This is the process:

2. How to Apply for Heavy Motor Vehicle Licence Offline

• Step 1: Visit your RTO.

• Step 2: Fill out an application form and submit copies of your supporting documents.

• Step 3: You will get a receipt of acknowledgement bearing an application number.

• Step 4: Once the application has gone through processing, you will receive a test date.

Conclusion

You can easily get a heavy vehicle driving licence. Apply online or offline and you receive a date to take an exam, after which an HMV licence is issued to you. However, as important as it is to get a driving licence to drive on any Indian roads, another vital document to have with you is one of motor insurance. It is mandatory to have vehicle insurance while you drive in India. You may also want insurance as a security measure against road mishaps and cost coverage for these. Check out different vehicle insurance plans at Bajaj Markets from companies like Bajaj Allianz Insurance, HDFC Ergo Insurance and Acko Insurance.

Check Out Motor Insurance Plans Available at Bajaj Markets