India / Driving licence and vehicles

Apply for a permanent driving licence after LL

Once you have held a learner's licence for at least 30 days, apply for the permanent driving licence on Sarathi under New Driving Licence, pay the fee, book a DL test slot and pass the driving test at the RTO or testing track. The central fee is Rs 300 for the test of each class of vehicle plus Rs 200 for issue of the licence. A licence for a private vehicle issued before you turn 30 is valid until you are 40.

Fee: Rs 300 test fee per class plus Rs 200 issue fee (central fee; states may add charges)
Time: At least 30 days after the learner's licence; card delivery time varies by state
How: Apply online on Sarathi; driving test in person

Checked against official sources on 13 October 2026. See the 9 sources.

Not confirmed

These points could not be confirmed on an official page on 13 October 2026. Check them with the office or portal before you rely on them.

Whether a certificate from an Accredited Driver Training Centre (Form 5B) exempts you from the RTO driving test is not confirmed, because the rule 15 proviso that deals with this could not be opened on an official page on 13 Oct 2026, so the guide only says the certificate is filed with Form 4 and that the Act makes such trainees eligible for a licence
The exact manoeuvres in the driving test (rule 15(3)) and whether the test is on an automated track differ by RTO and were not opened
Smart card fee, postal charge and other state user charges are not in the central fee table and vary by state
Delivery time of the licence card is not fixed on any central page opened; Parivahan says speed post, the FAQ says dispatch is as per state policy
The Parivahan FAQ gives two different statements on validity (one older, one matching the 2019 Act); the guide follows the 2019 Act text

Quick answer

Hold your learner's licence (LL) for at least 30 days. Then, while it is still valid, open sarathi.parivahan.gov.in, choose your state, go to Driving Licence, then New Driving Licence, and enter your learner's licence number and date of birth. Fill the application (Form 4), upload documents, pay the fee and book a slot under DL Test Slot Booking.

On the test day, go to the RTO or testing track with your learner's licence, originals and a vehicle of the class you applied for. If you pass, the licence is approved and the card is dispatched to your address or issued as your state decides.

Who can apply

You must hold an effective learner's licence for the same class of vehicle, held for at least 30 days.
The learner's licence is valid for six months, so in practice you take the test between day 31 and the end of the sixth month.
Age: 18 for a non-transport vehicle, 20 for a transport vehicle, and 16 for a motor cycle without gear with the guardian's consent.
Under the Act as amended in 2019 you may apply to any licensing authority in your State. The Parivahan FAQ says the permanent licence is issued from the same state as the learner's licence, and that a different RTO within the state is allowed only if your state permits it on Sarathi.
For a transport vehicle you also need a driving certificate in Form 5 from a licensed driving school and a medical certificate in Form 1A.

Documents you need

Rule 14 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules lists what goes with the application in Form 4:

Document	Notes
Effective learner's licence for the class applied for	Carry the printout (Form 3)
Fee receipt	Test fee for each class and the issue fee, paid on Sarathi
Recent passport size photograph	Many RTOs capture the photo and biometrics on the spot
Proof of residence and age	The same documents used for the learner's licence, in original
Medical certificate in Form 1A	Only for a transport vehicle licence under the central rule
Driving certificate in Form 5 from a driving school	For a transport vehicle licence
Certificate from an Accredited Driver Training Centre in Form 5B	If you trained at one
A vehicle of the class applied for	Parivahan says the applicant should bring it. For MCWG that means a motor cycle with gear. For an adapted vehicle licence you must bring a registered adapted vehicle

The Parivahan FAQ states that a medical certificate in Form 1A is required for applicants aged 40 or above, and Form 1 (self declaration) below 40. The central rule asks for Form 1A with Form 4 only for transport vehicles, so applicants over 40 should check their state's upload list.

Steps

Online

Open https://sarathi.parivahan.gov.in/sarathiservice/stateSelection.do and select your state.
Choose Driving Licence, then New Driving Licence (or the tile Apply for Driving Licence).
Enter your Learning Licence Number and Date of Birth. Your details from the learner's licence are fetched.
Fill the application form and choose the classes of vehicle you will be tested for. Click Next and note the application number.
Upload documents under Upload Document, then Upload Documents/ Scanned Images, if your state asks for uploads.
Pay under Fee Payments. Check Verify Payment Status and save the receipt. You can also pay later, but before the test date.
Book the test under Appointments, then DL Test Slot Booking. Pick the date and time. If you applied for two classes you may book them on different dates where your state allows.
Print the application and the appointment slip from Print Application Forms.

In person, on the test day

Reach the RTO or driving test track named on the slip, on time, with the learner's licence, originals, fee receipt and the vehicle.
Document check, then photo and biometrics where the RTO captures them.
Take the test of competence to drive. The officer has to be satisfied that you can drive the vehicle and perform the tasks listed in rule 15 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules.
The result is entered on Sarathi. If you pass, the licence is approved by the licensing authority and the card is printed and dispatched.

If you fail the test

You can appear again after seven days. Pay the repeat test fee (Rs 300 per class) under Fee Payments, then EPayment, then Retest Fee, and book a new slot.
After three failed attempts you cannot appear again for 60 days. The 2019 amendment adds that such an applicant has to complete a remedial driver training course at a driving school.
Your learner's licence must still be valid on the date of the retest. If it has expired, use Expired Learner Licence Issue Again under the Learner Licence menu.

Accredited Driver Training Centres (ADTC)

The central rules provide for Accredited Driver Training Centres. Enrolment is a Sarathi service (shown in Delhi, for example, as DRIVING TRAINING FROM ADTC), and the centre issues a certificate in Form 5B under rule 31E, which is filed with Form 4. The Motor Vehicles Act, as amended in 2019, says a person who successfully completes a training module at an accredited school is eligible to obtain a driving licence for that type of vehicle. The two wheeler course is 20 sessions within two weeks. Ask the centre and your RTO what the Form 5B certificate changes for the RTO test in your state before you pay for a course; this guide could not confirm the exemption wording on an official page.

Fees

Purpose	Central fee (rule 32)
Test, or repeat test, of competence to drive, for each class of vehicle	Rs 300
Issue of a driving licence	Rs 200
Addition of another class of vehicle to an existing driving licence	Rs 500

Example: for MCWG and LMV together, the central fee is Rs 300 x 2 for the tests plus Rs 200 for issue. States add their own user charges and may charge for the smart card and postage. The Sarathi fee screen for your state shows the exact total. Pay only on the portal. The fee of a cancelled application is not refunded.

How long it takes

Earliest test date: 30 days after the learner's licence was issued.
Slot waiting time depends on your RTO.
After you pass, Parivahan says the licence is sent by speed post to the address you gave. The FAQ adds that dispatch is as per state policy, so some states hand it over at the RTO.

How long the licence is valid

Under section 14 of the Act as amended in 2019:

Your age on the date of issue or renewal	Validity (non-transport)
Under 30	Until you turn 40
30 or more but under 50	10 years
50 or more but under 55	Until you turn 60
55 or more	5 years

A licence to drive a transport vehicle is valid for five years. An endorsement for vehicles carrying dangerous or hazardous goods is valid for three years.

How to check status

On your state's Sarathi page click Application Status and enter the application number, date of birth and captcha.
After approval, use Others, then Track Dispatch Article Status for the speed post tracking number, where your state dispatches by post.
If the status says the licence is approved but nothing has arrived, the FAQ says to contact the RTO for the dispatch tracking number.
Once issued, the licence can be fetched in DigiLocker if your RTO's data is on Sarathi.

Common problems

"Learner's licence details not found." Re-check the LL number. If it still fails, the FAQ says to contact the RTO.
"Already generated application for New Driver's Licence." You have an earlier application. Find it under Application Status or Find Application Number and complete or cancel it.
Wrong details in the form. After submission the form cannot be edited online. Go to the RTO with originals.
Slot not available. Slots open by RTO quota. Check again on later days, and cancel a slot you cannot attend under Cancel DL Test Slot so that you can rebook.
Passed in two classes but the card shows one. Contact the RTO with the test result.
Learner's licence expired before the test. You cannot be tested on an expired LL. Get it issued again first.
Payment debited twice or pending. Use Verify Payment Status. For a double debit the FAQ directs you to the RTO.
Someone offers a licence without a test. A driving licence needs a test of competence under the Act. Deal only with the RTO and the Sarathi portal, and do not pay touts or unknown websites.

FAQ

After how many days of learning licence can I apply for a driving licence?

After 30 days from the date the learner's licence was issued. You must apply and pass the test before the learner's licence expires at six months.

What is the fee for a permanent driving licence?

The central fee is Rs 300 for the driving test of each class of vehicle and Rs 200 for issue of the licence. States add user charges, so the total differs from state to state.

Do I have to bring my own vehicle for the driving test?

Parivahan says the applicant should bring a vehicle of the type applied for. The FAQ notes a vehicle may not be required at some places, which is the case where the test track provides one. Check the appointment slip or ask the RTO.

What happens if I fail the driving test?

You can take it again after seven days on payment of the repeat test fee. After three failures you must wait 60 days.

Can I take the driving test in a different RTO or state from my learner's licence?

The permanent licence is issued in the state that issued the learner's licence. A different RTO within that state is possible only where your state allows it on Sarathi.

How long is a driving licence valid?

For a private vehicle licence issued before you turn 30, until you turn 40. From 30 to under 50, ten years. From 50 to under 55, until 60. From 55, five years at a time. Transport vehicle licences are valid for five years.

Is a medical certificate needed for a driving licence?

A self declaration of fitness is part of the application. Form 1A from a registered doctor is required for transport vehicle licences, and the Parivahan FAQ says it is required for applicants aged 40 or above.

How will I get my driving licence card?

By speed post to your address, or as your state's policy provides. Track it under Track Dispatch Article Status on Sarathi.

Can I drive with the digital copy until the card arrives?

Once the licence is issued and your RTO's data is on Sarathi, it can be fetched in DigiLocker. If it does not appear, the Parivahan FAQ says the RTO has to migrate the data. You can also print the licence details from Print Driving Licence on Sarathi where your state enables it.

Official links

Sources

Every fee, time limit, form and address above was read on these official pages on 13 October 2026.

Parivahan Sewa, Permanent License Supports Online slot booking for the test; application in Form 4 with the learner's licence; learner's licence must be held at least 30 days; applicant brings a vehicle of the class applied for; tasks in rule 15(2); licence sent by speed post; fees plus user charges
Parivahan Sewa, Licensing Related Fees and Charges Supports Rs 300 for test or repeat test of competence to drive for each class of vehicle; Rs 200 for issue of a driving licence; Rs 500 for addition of another class
Parivahan Sewa, FAQ Supports Steps under New Driving Licence (learner licence number and date of birth); apply while the learner's licence is valid; retest after 7 days and after 60 days following three failures; retest fee route; permanent licence from the state that issued the learner's licence and RTO choice as per state; vehicle for MCWG test; dispatch and delivery as per state policy; tracking; cancelled application fee not refunded; DigiLocker data depends on RTO migration
Sarathi Parivahan, state selection and state home page (opened for Delhi) Supports Menu names New Driving Licence, DL Test Slot Booking, Cancel DL Test Slot, Upload Documents, Fee Payments, Verify Payment Status, Application Status, Track Dispatch Article Status, Print Driving Licence, Driving Licence Test Sheet; DRIVING TRAINING FROM ADTC listed as a contactless service in Delhi; fraud warning
MoRTH, G.S.R. 714(E) dated 20 September 2022, Central Motor Vehicles (Sixteenth Amendment) Rules, 2022 Supports Rule 14(1) as substituted, the list of what accompanies Form 4, including Form 5 driving school certificate for transport vehicles and the Accredited Driver Training Centre certificate in Form 5B under rule 31E; two wheeler course of 20 sessions within two weeks
MoRTH, G.S.R. 240(E) dated 31 March 2021, Central Motor Vehicles (Sixth Amendment) Rules, 2021 Supports Form 1A needed with Form 4 only for transport vehicles; rule 15 thirty day holding period; adapted vehicle must be brought for the test; licence may be issued electronically
MoRTH, The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 (PDF) Supports Apply to any licensing authority in the State; validity of licences by age under section 14 (transport five years; until 40; ten years; until 60; five years); remedial training after three failed tests; section 12(5) on accredited schools
India Code, Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (PDF) Supports Section 9, grant of driving licence, test required, re-appearing after seven days and the sixty day bar after three attempts
MoRTH, S.O. 3680(E) dated 6 July 2026 Supports Application for Driving Licence and enrolment to an Accredited Driving Training Centre are Sarathi services with voluntary Aadhaar authentication

In the search archive

None of the searches this guide answers is in the archive for India yet.

Open India in the explorer or read its top searches year by year.