India / Driving licence and vehicles

Apply for a learner's licence online (Sarathi)

Apply for a learner's licence on the Sarathi portal of Parivahan, pay online, and pass an objective test with at least 60 per cent, from home where your state offers the Aadhaar based service or at the RTO. The central fee is Rs 150 per class of vehicle plus Rs 50 for the test. It is valid for six months.

Fee: Rs 150 per class of vehicle plus Rs 50 test fee (central fee; states may add charges)
Time: Same day with Aadhaar eKYC where offered; otherwise after the RTO test
How: Online on Sarathi; test at home (Aadhaar) or at the RTO

Checked against official sources on 13 October 2026. See the 10 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.

The number of questions in the test and the time allowed per question are not stated in the central rules or on the pages opened; they are set in the Sarathi software and by states, so no figure is given
State level additions to the fee (service charge, smart card or postal charge) differ by state and were not checked state by state
The India Code PDF of the Motor Vehicles Act that could be opened does not carry the 2019 and 2026 amendments, so the 50cc wording in section 4 and the one year rule in section 7 for transport vehicle learner's licences are stated as they appear there and should be confirmed with the RTO; the Parivahan page uses the wording "motor cycle without gear"
Whether the Aadhaar based home test is offered in a given state could only be confirmed for Delhi on 13 Oct 2026; other states show their own instructions after state selection
How many days you must wait before a repeat learner's licence test could not be confirmed on an official page

Quick answer

Go to sarathi.parivahan.gov.in, choose your state, and open Learner Licence, then Application for New Learner Licence. Fill the form, upload documents, photo and signature, e-sign, and pay the fee. Then go through the road safety tutorial and take the objective test. You pass if you answer at least 60 per cent of the questions correctly.

If your state offers the Aadhaar based contactless service, you can take the test from home and download the e-learner's licence straight away. If you do not use Aadhaar, or your state does not offer it, you book an LL test slot and take the test at the RTO.

The learner's licence is valid for six months. You can apply for the permanent driving licence once you have held it for 30 days.

Who can apply

Age limits depend on the vehicle:

Vehicle	Minimum age	Condition
Motor cycle without gear (the Act says engine capacity not exceeding 50cc)	16 years	Written consent of the parent or guardian is needed if you are under 18
Motor cycle with gear, car and other non-transport vehicles	18 years	None
Transport vehicle (taxi, bus, goods vehicle)	20 years	Medical certificate in Form 1A is required

Other points:

Apply to the licensing authority (RTO) for the area where you live or carry on business, or where your driving school is.
You must not be disqualified from holding a licence.
You need a separate entry for each class of vehicle. You can apply for more than one class in the same application, for example motor cycle with gear (MCWG) and light motor vehicle (LMV).
The Sarathi form has categories for General, Divyang (differently abled), Ex-Servicemen, OCI, Foreigners, Diplomats, Repatriates and Refugees. A non-diplomat foreigner has to take a learner's licence first.

Who does not have to take the learner's test

Under rule 11 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, the tutorial and test do not apply to:

the holder of an effective driving licence (for example, when adding a new class of vehicle);
the holder of a driving licence that has expired;
the holder of a certificate from a driving school licensed under section 12 of the Act showing adequate knowledge of the syllabus. The Parivahan FAQ adds that this exemption falls under state jurisdiction, so check how your state applies it.

Documents you need

Everything is submitted electronically on the portal. Keep scans ready before you start.

Document	Who needs it
Proof of age and proof of residence	Everyone. With Aadhaar eKYC, your name, date of birth, address and photo are pulled from Aadhaar
Passport size photograph and signature (scanned, JPEG)	Everyone. With Aadhaar eKYC only the signature has to be uploaded
Self declaration of physical fitness (Form 1, now appended to the application form)	Everyone. It is filled online as part of the application
Medical certificate in Form 1A, issued electronically on the portal by a registered doctor	Applicants for a transport vehicle learner's licence, and applicants for an adapted vehicle (with disability certificate, if any)
Written consent of parent or guardian	Applicants under 18
Mobile number	Everyone, for OTPs. For the contactless route it must be the number linked to your Aadhaar

Note on the medical certificate: the central rules require Form 1A for a learner's licence only for transport and adapted vehicles. The Parivahan FAQ says Form 1A is required for applicants aged 40 or above. Some states therefore ask applicants over 40 for Form 1A even for a car or bike. Doctors who can issue Form 1A on the portal are listed under Find Doctor on your state's Sarathi page.

Which documents are accepted as proof of age and address is decided by each state, and the upload screen shows the list for your state.

Steps

Online

Open https://sarathi.parivahan.gov.in/sarathiservice/stateSelection.do and select your state from the dropdown. Online services are available only for the states in the list.
Read the pop-up for your state. States that offer Aadhaar based services list them here (Delhi, for example, shows "ISSUE OF LEARNERS LICENCE" under Contactless (eKYC) services).
From the menu choose Learner Licence, then Application for New Learner Licence (or the tile Apply for Learner Licence).
Read the Instructions for Application Submission and click Continue. Choose your category if one applies, and select "Applicant does not hold any Driving/Learner licence issued in India" if this is your first licence.
Choose how to authenticate: with Aadhaar (eKYC by OTP on the Aadhaar linked mobile) or without Aadhaar. Aadhaar authentication is voluntary under the central notification.
FILL APPLICATION DETAILS LL: personal details, address, the RTO, and the classes of vehicle. Fill the self declaration of fitness. Note the application number shown at the end.
UPLOAD DOCUMENTS: proof of age and address, and Form 1A where required.
UPLOAD PHOTO AND SIGNATURE: with Aadhaar eKYC only the signature is needed.
E-SIGN DOCUMENT, where your state uses it.
FEE PAYMENT: pay online. Then VERIFY THE PAYMENT STATUS and save the receipt.
Open Tutorial for LL Test and go through the road safety tutorial. Under the rules the tutorial and the test are to be completed within seven days of submitting the application.
TAKE THE LL TEST. With Aadhaar eKYC, in states that offer it, you take the test online from home or any place you choose. The questions are objective type and cover traffic signs and signals, rules of the road, duties of a driver after an accident, unmanned railway crossings, the documents to carry, and fuel efficient driving.
If you answer at least 60 per cent correctly, the learner's licence is issued electronically. Download it from Learner Licence, then Print Learner Licence (Form3), using your application number and date of birth.

In person (without Aadhaar, or where the home test is not offered)

Complete steps 1 to 10 above online, choosing the option without Aadhaar.
Book a test slot: Appointments, then LL Test Slot Booking.
Go to the RTO on the booked date with the application printout, fee receipt and original documents. The Delhi instructions, for example, ask non-Aadhaar applicants to take the test physically at the Mall Road office; your state's instruction page names the office for you.
Take the same objective test on the RTO computer. After passing, print the learner's licence in Form 3 from the portal.

A person who has no Aadhaar number can also establish identity with another document physically before the authority, as the central notification allows.

Practise before the test

Sarathi has Mock Test for LL and Sample Question for LL Test under the Learner Licence menu.
Parivahan publishes an official Sample LL Question Bank (PDF) with three options per question, including sign recognition questions.

Fees

Purpose	Central fee (rule 32)
Issue of learner's licence in Form 3, for each class of vehicle	Rs 150
Learner's licence test fee, or repeat test fee	Rs 50

For two classes (for example MCWG and LMV) the central fee is Rs 150 x 2 plus the test fee. States may collect additional service or user charges on top of the central fee, so the total shown on the Sarathi fee screen for your state is the amount to pay. Pay only on the portal. The fee of a cancelled application is not refunded.

How long it takes

With Aadhaar eKYC and the home test, where your state offers it: the e-learner's licence is issued immediately after you pass.
Without Aadhaar: it depends on the first available LL test slot at your RTO.
The learner's licence is valid for six months from the date of issue.
You can apply for the driving licence after holding the learner's licence for at least 30 days, and you should apply while it is still valid.

How to check status

On your state's Sarathi page click Application Status.
Enter the application number and date of birth, and the captcha.
The page shows each stage (documents, photo, fee, test) as completed or pending. If a stage you finished still shows pending, use the Refresh button.

Lost the application number? Use Others, then Find Application Number. To check a payment, use Fee Payments, then Verify Payment Status.

Common problems

Aadhaar details do not match. The contactless route needs your Aadhaar name and date of birth to be correct, and the OTP goes only to the Aadhaar linked mobile. If that number is not with you, apply without Aadhaar and take the test at the RTO.
Photo or signature upload fails. Images must be JPEG and within the size shown on the screen. A multi-page document must be one JPEG or PDF within the size limit.
Status still says documents pending. Open Application Status and click Refresh.
Wrong RTO selected. The RTO can be changed only before the fee is paid.
Mistake in the form. Use Application Edit (for LL only before Fee payment). After payment, the FAQ says to contact the RTO with original documents.
Money debited but receipt not generated. Use Verify Payment Status before paying again.
Failed the test. Pay the retest fee (Rs 50) under Fee Payments and take the test again.
Learner's licence expired before you got the DL. Use Learner Licence, then Expired Learner Licence Issue Again.
District or village not in the list. The FAQ says to contact the RTO or the helpdesk.

FAQ

Can I give the learning licence test online from home?

Yes, where your state offers the Aadhaar based contactless service. The Sarathi instruction page says applicants using Aadhaar can take the test from home or any preferred location and get the e-learner licence instantly. Applicants without Aadhaar apply online but take the test at the RTO.

What is the fee for a learner's licence?

The central fee is Rs 150 for each class of vehicle plus Rs 50 for the test. A repeat test costs Rs 50 again. States may add their own charges, so pay the amount shown on Sarathi for your state.

What is the minimum age for a learning licence?

16 years for a motor cycle without gear, with the written consent of a parent or guardian. 18 years for a geared motor cycle, car or other non-transport vehicle. 20 years for a transport vehicle.

How many marks are needed to pass the LL test?

You must answer at least 60 per cent of the questions correctly. This is fixed by rule 11 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules.

How long is a learner's licence valid?

Six months from the date of issue. If it expires before you get the driving licence, Sarathi has an option called Expired Learner Licence Issue Again.

After how many days can I apply for the permanent driving licence?

After 30 days from the issue of the learner's licence, and before it expires.

Is Aadhaar compulsory for a learner's licence?

No. Aadhaar authentication is voluntary. Without Aadhaar you can still apply online and prove identity with other documents, but you will usually have to visit the RTO for the test.

Do I need a medical certificate?

Everyone fills the self declaration of fitness in the online form. A medical certificate in Form 1A from a registered doctor is required by the central rules for transport vehicles and adapted vehicles. The Parivahan FAQ also says Form 1A is required for applicants aged 40 or above, so applicants over 40 should expect to be asked for it.

How do I download or print my learner's licence?

On Sarathi choose your state, then Learner Licence, then Print Learner Licence (Form3). Enter the application number and date of birth.

Do I need an agent to get a learning licence?

No. The whole application is made by you on the official portal, and the fee is paid online. Use only sarathi.parivahan.gov.in or the NextGen mParivahan app. The portal itself warns against fraudulent websites, links and apps.

Official links

Sources

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

Parivahan Sewa, Learner's License Supports Need for a licence; who the licensing authorities are; under 18 only a motor cycle without gear with written consent of the guardian; 18 for non-transport vehicles; 20 for transport vehicles
Parivahan Sewa, Licensing Related Fees and Charges Supports Rs 150 for issue of learner's licence in Form 3 for each class of vehicle; Rs 50 learner's licence test fee or repeat test fee
Sarathi Parivahan, state selection page Supports Select the state first; services only for listed states; fraud warning to use only the Parivahan website or the NextGen mParivahan app; menu names (Learner Licence, Application for New Learner Licence, Tutorial for LL Test, Mock Test for LL, Print Learner Licence (Form3), LL Test Slot Booking, Application Status, Fee Payments, Find Doctor) as shown after choosing Delhi
Sarathi Parivahan, Instructions for Application Submission (opened for Delhi) Supports Aadhaar applicants can take the test from home and get the e-learner licence instantly; non-Aadhaar applicants apply online and take the test physically; the eight stages of the application; categories of applicant on the next screen
MoRTH, G.S.R. 240(E) dated 31 March 2021, Central Motor Vehicles (Sixth Amendment) Rules, 2021 Supports Rule 10 documents filed electronically (proof of residence and age; Form 1A only for transport vehicles and adapted vehicles); rule 11 tutorial and test within seven days, 60 per cent pass mark, who is exempt from the test; rule 13 learner's licence issued electronically in printable Form 3; self declaration appended to Form 2
MoRTH, G.S.R. 714(E) dated 20 September 2022, Central Motor Vehicles (Sixteenth Amendment) Rules, 2022 Supports Fuel efficient driving added to the tutorial and test topics in rule 11
MoRTH, S.O. 3680(E) dated 6 July 2026, Aadhaar authentication for online transport services Supports Aadhaar authentication is voluntary; a person without Aadhaar can use the service in physical form with another identity document; Application for Learner's Licence is a listed Sarathi service; delivery is automatic, faceless or by physical visit as per the process flow
Parivahan Sewa, FAQ Supports LL valid six months and DL can be applied for after 30 days; Form 1 self declaration mandatory; how to upload documents, photo and signature; application status and Find Application Number; RTO can be changed only before fee payment; cancelled application fee is not refunded; how to pay the LL retest fee; printing the LL
Parivahan Sewa, Sample LL Question Bank (PDF) Supports Official sample question bank for the learner's licence test, with three options per question
India Code, Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (PDF) Supports Section 4 age limits including 16 years for a motor cycle with engine capacity not exceeding 50cc; section 8 (where to apply, test required); section 14(1) learner's licence effective for six months

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.