In India, a driving license is an official document that authorizes its holder to operate various types of motor vehicles on highways and some other roads to which the public have access.
A modern photo of the driving license can also serve many of the purposes of an identity card in non-driving contexts such as proof of identity (e.g. when opening a bank account) or proof of age (e.g. when applying for a mobile connection). Whoever wishes to drive a vehicle in India has to have a driving license!
In India, two kinds of driving licenses are issued: learner’s license and permanent license. Learner’s license is valid only for six months. A permanent license can be availed only after the expiry of one month from the date of issuance of the learner’s license.
However, a permanent driving license cannot be received right away. There is a separate process for it.
An individual who wants to drive any type of motor vehicle in India has to get his/her learner’s license first. A learner’s license is issued for learning. After a month of the issued learner’s license, the person has to appear for the test in front of an RTO authority, who upon proper examination, will declare if he/she has passed the exam or not.
Documents required for driving license
To ensure that there is no delay in the application process, the documents that are to be submitted have to be valid and correct. The lists of documents required for a driving license are:
- Age Proof (any one of the below-given documents)
- Birth Certificate
- PAN Card
- Passport
- 10th Class mark sheet
- Transfer certificate from any school for any class with date of birth printed on it
Proof of address required for DL
Permanent proof of address (any one from the following):
- Passport
- Aadhaar Card
- Self-owned house agreement
- Electricity bill (issued in applicants name)
- LIC bond
- Voters ID Card
- Ration card
Current Proof of address (any one from the following):
- Rental agreement and electricity bill
- Rental agreement and LPG bill
Other Requirements for DL
- Duly filled application form (to get the application form for a driving license, visit the nearest RTO or download it from the online portal for your state)
- 6 passport sized photographs (when applying for Learners license)
- 1 passport sized photograph (when applying for driving license)
- Application fees: If you are staying in other cities, as current address proof, you can present the rental agreement with one recent utility bill copy which can be a gas bill or an electricity bill.
- Medical Certificate is mandatory for all applicants over the age of 40 years. Form 1 A and 1 is to be issued by a certified government doctor
How to apply for DL online
Applying for a driving license online is a simple process and involves only a few steps.
Go to the official Sarathi website of the Road Transport & Highways Ministry. From the column named “Sarathi Services,” select “New Driving license.”
You will be redirected to a new web page, which will have all the details about it. Read through the instructions. Download the form and fill all the required information.
Process to fill the DL application form online
The process for filling out an online application for a learner’s license or driving license is as follows:
- Visit the Sarathi website and download the driving license application form
- Fill in the form as per the instructions provided on the screen and click on ‘Submit’
- In the case of minor applicants, the form is to be printed out and Part D is to be filled out and signed by the parent/guardian at the nearest RTO
- Upload the documents to be submitted along with the application form (proof of age, proof of address, learner’s license number)
- A Web Application Number will be generated after submission, which can be used to track the status of the application
- Once the application has been processed, a notification will be sent via SMS
How to apply for a DL in RTO or offline in India
The procedure to apply for a driving license in India is very simple and straightforward. The steps given below will help you understand how to apply for a driving license offline.
- The applicant has to obtain a Form 4 which is the application form for motor vehicle driving license in India. The form can be downloaded from the state transport website. Alternatively, the customer can also visit the nearest RTO to procure Form 4
- Completely fill the application form and submit it with other documents like age proof and address proof at the RTO in the jurisdiction in which you live. Also, schedule a slot for driving license test at the RTO and pay the fee for taking the test
- Be present at your driving license test center on the specified time and date. Once you clear the test, you’re driving license will be awarded on the spot or will be sent to your registered address
- Also, if you are taking driving lessons from a driving school, the school will help you apply for a driving license
After completing the form, the applicant can submit it online by clicking on the ‘Submit’ button at the bottom of the form. After submitting the form, an auto-generated Web Application Number will appear on screen.
Take a note of the number for future reference in case you wish to check the status of the application.