A Driving Licence is an official document certifying that the holder is suitably qualified to drive a motor vehicle or vehicles. Under the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 in India, no person can drive a motor vehicle in any public place unless he holds a valid Driving Licence issued to him, authorising him to drive a vehicle of that particular category. In India, each state has a 'Regional Transport Authority' or 'Regional Transport Offices' or ‘RTOs’ that issue driving licenses. Though the minimum age for obtaining a driver's license for small motorcycles is 14 years, it is 16-18 years in case of all other vehicles and it varies from state to state. In order to get a driving license, the candidates are required to appear for an oral test and get the learner's license which would be valid for 6 months from the date of issuing. Thereafter, the drivers can pass the driving test to obtain the driving license.

 

In India, two kinds of Driving Licences are issued:
• Learner's Licence
• Permanent Licence

Learner's Licence is valid only for six months. Permanent Licence can be availed only after the expiry of one month from the date of issuance of the Learner's Licence.

How to get a Driving Licence?
There are two stages for obtaining a Driving License. First, to apply for a Learner's License and next for a Permanent License:

 

Learner's License:
For Learner's License, the applicant should appear personally before the Licensing Authority. The following requirement has to be fulfilled by the applicant:
• Application Form II.
• Fees of Rs. 15/- for each class of vehicle.
• Age proof.
• Residence proof.
• Medical Certificate in form 1A wherever applicable. An application for a medical certificate (Form - IA) shall contain a declaration in Form - 1.
• 3 recent passport size photographs of the applicant.
• Applicant applying for Transport Vehicle Licence must produce his/her Permanent Driving Licence for Light Motor Vehicle at least for one year, medical certificate in form 1A and he/she should be minimum of 20 years old.
The applicant has to pass a test regarding basic traffic signs and driver's responsibilities. The license obtained is valid for a period of six months from the date of issue and is renewable for another period of six months, during its validity.

Permanent License:
The application for Permanent License should be made in Form 4. The following documents are required while submission of the form:
• Effective learner's licence to drive the vehicle of the type to which the application relates.
• Appropriate fee as specified in Rule 32 (CMV RULES), for the test of competence to drive and issue of licence.
• 3 copies of the applicant's recent passport size photographs.
• Medical certificate in Form 1A wherever applicable. An application for a medical certificate (Form - IA) shall contain a declaration in Form - 1
• A driving certificate in Form 5 in case of transport licence.
For obtaining a fresh driving licence the applicant has to undergo driving test of the relevent vehicle for which he/she has applied for and pass the test of competence to drive.

 

International Driving Licence:
International driving licenses are issued from various zonal offices. The validity of this permit is for one year. You are required to get your licence from the country you’re visiting within one year period. Following documents are to be produced at the time of applying for a International driving license:-
• Valid driving licence issued.
• Attested copy of address proof.
• Attested copy of Birth certificate
• Valid passport
• Valid Visa
• Fee of Rs. 200/-
• Two passport size photograph.

To know more in detail visit to http://transport.delhigovt.nic.in/transport/tr3.htm