Having a driving licence is imperative to be able to drive on the roads in India. Failure to show your licence when driving can result in suspension of the vehicle, and a fine of ₹5,000. Not only is it important to maintain law and order on the roads, it is also an important qualifier of your ability to drive a vehicle without being a liability to yourself or others. For this reason, having a licence is necessary.
For the city of Mumbai, getting a driver’s licence is relatively simple due to the easy online driving licence portals available. The Maharashtra Transport Department has created a uniform system for all Mumbaikars to access their driver’s licence with ease, as well as apply for renewal of their driving licence. Following are the types of licences available in Mumbai:
Two-wheelers with gear vehicles.
Two-wheelers without gear vehicles.
Four-wheelers with and without gears.
Commercial Vehicles
Transport Vehicles
The eligibility criteria to apply for a driving licence in Mumbai is as follows –
The applicant should be 16 years old to ride a gearless two-wheeler
The applicant should be 18 years old to ride/drive a light motor vehicle with gear
The applicant should be 20 years old and passed a minimum of 8th class to drive heavy motor vehicles
The applicant should know and abide by the basic traffic safety rules
The applicant should have a valid learner’s licence before applying for a permanent driving licence
To have the authority to drive in Mumbai, the applicant should submit the following set of documents to the Road Transport Authority. They will then verify these documents and approve/reject your application based on your test results and eligibility.
A duly filled driving licence application form – available online as well as offline
Three passport-sized photographs for a learner’s licence and three passport-sized photographs for the permanent driving licence
Address proof – ration card, voter’s ID, Passport, Aadhaar Card, or LIC policy that is older than 6 months
Age proof – education certificates, birth certificate, or SSC certificate
Copy of your valid learner’s licence when applying for a permanent driving licence
PAN card copy
The payment receipt
Medical certificate Form 1A if the applicant is above 40 years old
Before getting a permanent driving licence, apply for a learning licence first. The following steps show the process of getting a learner’s licence in Mumbai.
Register and fill the learner’s licence application form online by visiting the Maharashtra Motor Vehicle Department.
Pay a fee of Rs. 151 plus Rs. 50 for the test
Alternatively, visit the RTO and fill the Form-4 for the same. After submitting the form, the applicant will receive an application number. After this, an official will give a slot to take a preliminary test for learner’s licence.
Give the test as per the slot arrangement. The test evaluates the applicant based on their traffic safety knowledge. If the applicant clears the test, they will immediately get their learner’s licence. However, if they fail, then they have to apply for the test again.
After getting a learner’s licence, the applicant can proceed to apply for a permanent driving licence after 30 days.
After getting a learner’s licence and practicing driving on the streets with a licenced professional guiding you, the applicant can take their newfound skills and apply for a driver’s licence in Mumbai. The fee for applying for a driver’s licence is Rs. 200, and the cost for the test is Rs. 300. Following are the step to apply for a driver’s licence in Mumbai:
Go to the Maharashtra Transport’s official website.
Download the ‘Application of Driving licence’ Form and fill it.
Upon submitting the form, the applicant will be issued an ‘application reference number’ and be given a date for an appointment with the RTO.
On the day of the appointment, the vehicle must be taken to the RTO. The vehicle used for the test must be the same as the one mentioned while filling up the application.
The applicant will be required to drive in front of the RTO Official. A clear sense of traffic rules and regulations, along with a finesse to operate the car, must be displayed. The official needs to ensure that the applicant does indeed know how to respond to various scenarios on the road.
The results are announced within a few hours. If the applicant fails, they will have to give the test again in a few days. If they pass, they will receive their driver’s licence by post in a few days.
The following table gives a brief overview of the fixed licence fees charged by the RTO in Mumbai –
Service |
Fees Charged |
Learner’s Licence |
Rs. 151 + Rs. 50 (for the test) |
Permanent Driver’s Licence |
Rs. 716 |
Driving Licence Renewal |
Rs. 416 |
Duplicate Driving Licence |
Rs. 216 |
International Driving Licence Permit |
Rs. 1000 |
Permit to Drive Public Service Vehicle |
Rs. 766 |
Duplicate Registration Certificate |
50% of the registration fee of a particular class of vehicle |
Duplicate Fitness Certificate |
Rs. 100 |
Alternation in Vehicle |
Rs. 50 |
You can either check your driving licence application status online via the State Transport Department website or the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways official website.
Visit the official website of the State Transport Department of Mumbai
Click on ‘DL and LL registration’
Choose the option ‘Know your application status’
Enter your application number and click on Submit
It will display the application status on the screen
Visit the official website of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
Choose the ‘Driving Licence-Related service’ option
Choose the state you reside
Choose the ‘Verify Status’ option
Enter your application number and Date of Birth
Enter the correct Captcha code
It will display the application status on the screen
For those who do not reside in India, but are citizens of India, an international driver’s licence can be procured in the city of Mumbai. This allows ease of transport for the duration of their travel. The fee required for applying for an international driver’s licence is Rs. 1,000. Following are the documents required to make an international driver’s licence:
Valid driver’s licence held by the applicant and related documents.
Copies of passport, visa (in applicable cases), and air ticket verification.
Fees along with user charges.
A duplicate driver’s licence is required when the original is lost or destroyed, or when the photograph on the licence requires to be updated. The following procedure must be followed in order to get a duplicate licence:
Go to the police station that has jurisdiction over the area where the licence was lost, and file an FIR. The Notary Office will have you sign an affidavit confirming that you did indeed lose the licence.
Go to the same RTO where you got your original licence with a copy of the FIR, the affidavit, and three passport size photographs.
An application must be filled in Form 2 in order to get a duplicate licence.
Attested photocopies of the driver’s licence in case the original is destroyed or lost must be submitted.
Fee along with user charges will be charged for the process.
A driver’s licence is valid for 20 years, or until the registered driver turns 50 years of age, whichever happens first. Renewal of driver’s licence must be done a month prior to the date it expires. Renewal of the licence costs Rs. 200.
The following steps explain the process of renewing permanent driving licence in Mumbai -
The applicant must visit the concerned RTO and apply for renewal of the licence.
Alternatively, they can also renew their driver’s licence online at the Maharashtra Transport website.
Upon submitting the required documents, they will be verified. Once approved, the licence will be approved and sent to the driver in question.
The process of driving licence test is defined in Rule 15 of the Motor Vehicles Act. There will be an official appointed to take the test of the applicants. He/she will decide to pass/fail the applicant based on their performance.
Know that the applicants need to take their vehicle for the test. The vehicle needs to be for the same class as the one mentioned in the driving licence application. The applicant can use a motor vehicle from their driving school in case they don’t own the required vehicle.
When appearing for a driving licence test for a two-wheeler or three-wheeler, the applicant is needed to ride inside a border on an imaginary pattern of the figure ‘8’. This needs to be done without touching the feet on the ground. Once the investigating officer is pleased, they will ask the applicant to ride the vehicle on the road for further evaluation. This shows the applicants control on the vehicle in real-world conditions.
The driving licence test for a car is standard across the country. During the test, the applicant is needed to drive on a specially prepared track without coming in contact with any of the pillars. Once the investigator is pleased with the applicant’s performance, they will be requested to drive on the road. Based on the applicant’s performance, they will be marked passed or failed. In case the applicant fails the test, they can reapply after seven days.
There are five RTO offices in Mumbai. The details of the same are as follows –
RTO Office |
Address Details |
MH-01 Tardeo RTO Office – South Mumbai |
Old Bodyguard Lane, Tulsiwadi, Tardeo, Mumbai, Maharashtra Pincode – 400034 |
MH-02 Andheri RTO Office – Western Suburb Mumbai |
Regional Transport Office, D/111, Ambivali Village, Versova Road, Near Manish Nagar, Andheri (West), Mumbai – 400053 |
MH-03 Worli Deputy RTO Office – South Mumbai |
25/Sir Pochkhanwala Road, Worli, Maharashtra – 400025 |
MH-03 Wadala RTO Office – Harbour Mumbai East |
B/2, 3rd Floor, Wadala Truck Terminal, Wadala Road, Mumbai, Maharashtra – 400037 |
MH-47 Dahisar Deputy RTO Office – Western Suburb |
Dy. Regional Transport Officer, Wing-A Link Rd, Kandarpada Anand Park, Dahisar West, Near Borivali, Mumbai – 400068 |
Now that you know how to apply for a driver’s licence in Mumbai, what are you waiting for? Go and apply now!
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Getting a permanent driving licence Mumbai is not a very complicated task. After getting a learner’s licence, you can apply for the permanent driving licence in Mumbai. To get a driving licence, visit the Maharashtra Transport Department’s website.
The cost of applying for a driving licence Mumbai is Rs 200, while the test costs Rs 300.
Loss or wear and tear of driving licence are not very uncommon. One has to apply for a duplicate driving licence if the original one is lost or destroyed. To apply for a duplicate driving licence in Mumbai, file an FIR in the police station which has jurisdiction over the place where the licence was lost.
The fee for the issuance of a duplicate driving licence in Mumbai is Rs 200.
To apply for a driving licence in Mumbai, one needs to submit documents like address proof, age proof and a few other documents.
Yes. Both learning and permanent driving licences issued in Mumbai are valid across the country.
No. You cannot renew your learning licence in Mumbai or elsewhere. If the licence is expired, make a new application with the RTO and get a new learner’s licence. Note that the learning licence is valid for only six months.
A learning licence holder has the liberty to practice driving on public roads in Mumbai. Note that the licence holder needs to exhibit the ‘L’ symbol on their vehicle when driving on the road.
Yes. You can apply for a duplicate learning licence if you misplaced or tore the original one.
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