Smart Card Driving Licence

Driving licences are now issued via smart cards in the current digital environment. This extensively helps eliminate issues related to the paper booklet format. So what are the benefits of a smart card driving licence?

It holds a microprocessor chip that has all your information safely stored, it is easily accessible due to its portability feature and cannot be tampered with. Additionally, private information is less likely to be duplicated, and fraud is substantially reduced. This durable smart card holds a nominal fee of Rs 200, and the user can obtain it via online as well as offline methods.

A smart card driving licence is a small tamper-proof plastic card with a microprocessor chip that contains all the information that a typical driving licence has. Many Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) in the country have now begun to phased out the old driving licence and are now offering smart cards in lieu of them. 

Some of the key information that the smart card driving licence contains include the biometric data of the licence holder, full name, address, blood group and the vehicles that they’re cleared to drive. The information contained in the card cannot be edited, modified or tampered in any way and can only be read by special scanners. 

To obtain a smart card driving licence, you would have to file an application for the same and make a nominal payment of about ₹200. The application for a smart card driving licence can be done online or by physically visiting the concerned RTO. 

A smart card driving licence comes with a host of advantages that make it a better option than the more traditional form of driving licence. Here’s a quick look at the various benefits that you get to enjoy. 

Maximum Security 

All of the crucial information of the licence holder is stored securely within a microprocessor chip present on the smart card. This prevents unauthorised access to the information since it can only be accessed by special readers that only traffic authorities are equipped with. 

Tamper-Proof Design

Once the information is encoded into the microprocessor chip on the smart card driving licence, it cannot be edited, modified or tampered with in any way. This decreases the incidence of fraud and duplication of private information.

Convenient and Highly Durable

Since the smart card driving licence is just about the size of a credit card, you can conveniently carry them in your wallet. Also, they’re very durable and resistant to splashes of water and dirt. 

Thanks to the Parivahan portal of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, you can quickly apply for a smart card driving licence online. The steps that you would have to follow for the same are outlined below. 

• Step 1: Visit the Parivahan website at https://parivahan.gov.in/parivahan/

• Step 2: Under the ‘Online Services’ menu, click on ‘Driving Licence Related Services’. 

• Step 3: Choose the state that you’re residing in from the drop down box. 

• Step 4: Under the ‘Driving Licence’ menu, click on ‘New Driving Licence’. 

• Step 5: Click ‘Continue’, proceed to enter your ‘Learner’s Licence Number’ and your date of birth.

• Step 6: Provide all the required information for the smart card online application and submit the same after uploading the supporting documentation.

• Step 7: Book a slot for the driving exam and visit the concerned RTO to give your exam. 

• Step 8: The smart card driving licence will be granted to you once you pass your exam and provide your biometrics at the RTO. 

Alternatively, if you prefer to apply for a smart card driving licence offline, you can do so by following the steps given below. 

• Step 1: Visit your local RTO and request for a driving licence application form and a fitness certificate form.

• Step 2: Fill in these forms and submit them along with your supporting documentation.

• Step 3: Choose a time for your driving exam.

• Step 4: Once you clear your exam, you would have to visit a biometric centre to give your biometric information, after which you will receive your driving licence smart card.

The eligibility criteria for applying for a smart card driving licence is the same as that for a regular driving licence. Let’s take a quick look at what they are. 

• You must be at least 16 years of age to apply for a driving licence for riding a geared or non-geared motorcycle with an engine capacity of 50cc or less. 

• You must be at least 18 years of age to apply for a driving licence for geared or non-geared vehicles with an engine capacity of more than 50cc.

• You must have completed at least 8th standard and must be at least 18 years of age to apply for a driving licence for driving transport vehicles and commercial heavy vehicles. 

• You must hold a valid learner’s licence. 

Along with the smart card driving licence application, you would be required to submit a host of other supporting documents as well. Check out the list of documents that you would have to submit below. 

• Address Proof: Any one of the following - 

   

  • Aadhaar Card 

  • Ration card 

  • Passport 

  • Home or rent agreement 

  • Recent utility bill 

• Age Proof: Any one of the following - 

   

  • Aadhaar card 

  • PAN card 

  • Passport 

  • Birth certificate 

  • Any other official document stating your age 

• Other Documentation- Forms 1, 1A and 4, passport size photos and a duly filled smart card DL form.

If you have a driving licence booklet and wish to change it to a smart card, you can do so by following these steps. 

• Step 1: Pay your local RTO a visit and request for the smart card DL application form.

• Step 2: Fill out the application and go ahead and get your biometrics assessed and entered into the system.

• Step 3: Your biometrics will be fed into your new smart card and will be combined with the information contained in your driving licence booklet.

• Step 4: Your information will be linked to the digital database of the RTO, and your new smart card will be issued.

Note: Keep in mind that the status of your DL smart card can be checked online anytime after you have passed your driving exam and are due to get the smart card licence.

When you apply for conversion from the old driving licence booklet to the new smart card driving licence, you will be required to provide the RTO with the following documentation. 

• Address Proof: Any one of the following - 

   

  • Aadhaar Card 

  • Ration card 

  • Passport 

  • Home or rent agreement 

  • Recent utility bill 

• Age Proof: Any one of the following - 

   

  • Aadhaar card 

  • PAN card 

  • Passport 

  • Birth certificate 

  • Any other official document stating your age 

• Your original old licence booklet

With seamless online and offline procedures, RTOs across the country have made it extremely easy to apply for a smart card driving licence. That said, keep in mind that the smart DL is not available in all Regional Transport Offices in the country. Therefore, it is advisable to first enquire whether your RTO provides smart card driving licences before applying for one. 

Similar to a driving licence, a vehicle insurance policy is also an important document that you should always carry with you when driving a vehicle. A vehicle insurance policy gives you financial protection from accidents and other mishaps that may occur to you or your vehicle. At Bajaj Markets, you can browse through various different insurance plans for your vehicles and even compare them with one another.