Source: indianauto

According to the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, every citizen of India who owns and rides a vehicle on a public road in any part of India must hold a driving licence. A driving licence has a validity of 20 years till the vehicle owner reaches the age of 50.

This validation period works uniformly in all states and Union Territories of India. Vehicle owners can apply for renewal of driving licence before and even after the expiry. Wondering how the whole process works?

Stay tuned, and you will get the answers!

However, you must understand the importance of driving licence renewal first.

A driving licence (DL) is an essential document that provides vehicle owners with permission to drive their vehicles freely and legally on public roads. The Motor Vehicle Act 1988 made it mandatory for every vehicle owner to hold a valid driving licence.

Further, Section 177 of the Motor Vehicle Act 1988 states that no motor vehicle owner can drive their vehicle without a valid driving licence, and violation of this rule is considered as a punishable offence which can incur a fine of ₹500 or imprisonment up to 3 years.

This licence is particularly important as it specifies that all motor vehicle owners are well acquainted with the traffic rules and signals. It is because they get the document after successfully passing the driving test.

Further, this licence is essential because in case an accident occurs, vehicle owners can claim insurance for the damages. If vehicle owners drive with an expired driving licence, they cannot settle a claim with the insurance company for the damages.

As stated in the introductory paragraph, a driving licence comes with a validity period and even remains valid for one month even after the expiry. However, they can apply for renewal of driving licence after expiry by paying a penalty charge.

Note: If a driving licence is not renewed after 5 years from the date of expiry, vehicle owners have to apply for a fresh driving licence as the previous document will lose its validity.

From the above-mentioned piece, you can thoroughly understand the importance of having a valid driving licence. The next question that comes to mind after knowing the importance is how to renew a driving licence.

Since the driving licence renewal process can be done in both online and offline mode, both these processes have been explained separately. Read along!

Here is a step-by-step process of Indian Driving Licence renewal online.

• Visit the official website of Parivahan Sewa and click on ‘Driving Licence Related Services’ under ‘Online Services’.
• Next, select the state from where you wish to take the service or a licence to be issued.
• On the redirected page, Select ‘Apply for DL renewal’ from multiple services related to driving licence.
• Now, you will see a new webpage where all the instructions related to application submission are thoroughly mentioned. Next, fill in the applicant or request details next.
• In this stage of renewal of DL online, you have to upload the essential documents, along with a photo and a digitised signature. Please note, this step is applicable to specific websites.
• Complete the payment process and verify payment status.

After successfully completing these steps, applicants can view their application ID on an ‘Acknowledgement Page’ . They can use it for future reference.  Also, applicants will get an SMS on their registered mobile number with all details.

In case you find it difficult to renew driving licence online, you can complete this process offline.

Vehicle owners can renew a driving licence by visiting their local RTO (Regional Transport Office).

Here are the steps for offline RTO driving licence renewal - 

• Visit your local RTO.  Submit all the documents and NOC (No Objection Certificate) if you are applying for renewal of driving licence from another state.
• Provide driving licence details along with a photograph.
• Complete the payment procedure. Vehicle owners may have to book a slot for a test if there are changes in the medical certificate.
• Lastly, take the exam and get a driving licence after successfully passing it.

As the licence renewal process includes submission of certain documents, hence it is imperative to know about it in detail.

The documents required for the offline or online licence renewal process is segregated as per the vehicle type.

One must submit the following documents to renew a private or non-transport driving licence -

• Form 9, which is the application form for Indian driving licence renewal. This form is available at the local RTO or can be downloaded online.
• Expired driving licence
• Address proof
• Age proof
• Passport-size photographs
• Form 1 for declaring medical fitness. You can download this form online or collect it from the local RTO.

• Form 1A as a medical certificate if you are aged 40 years or more 

If you have a commercial vehicle, you must submit the documents listed below for the renewal of driving licence -

• Form 9. This form is available at the local RTO. You can also download it online.
• Address proof
• Age proof
• Expired driving licence
• Form 1 and 1A for declaring medical fitness. Individuals can download this form online or collect it from their local RTO.
• Form 1A as a medical certificate if you are aged 40 years or more
• Passport-size photographs
• Driver refreshing certificate for heavy motor vehicles.

Also, vehicle owners must know the driving licence renewal fees to complete the application process.

If vehicle owners apply for renewal of driving licence within the grace period, meaning within 30 days after the expiry, they have to pay the nominal fee of ₹200.

However, if you renew your driving licence after expiry date, i.e. after the grace period, vehicle owners have to pay ₹1000 as a fine and other applicable fees.

Please note these fees can vary from one state to state.

During offline/online applications for renewal of driving licence, vehicle owners must follow certain guidelines to complete the process hassle-freely. Read along!

• Keep all essential documents (scanned copy in case of online application) handy.
• Book a slot as per your convenience.
• Make sure you have a fast internet connection.
• Cautiously enter details while completing the payment process.
• Provide a valid mobile number.
• Since some states are thinking about going completely online, vehicle owners must know the rules of their respective states.

Now that vehicle owners know everything about the renewal of driving licence in India, i.e., guidelines, application process, fees; they can easily apply for the same as per their suitability. However, be careful with the state-specific norms and drive freely on Indian roads with a renewed driving licence.