Light Motor Vehicle Licence in India: Types and Benefits Explained

A piece of news from December 2022 confirmed that approximately 5.3 crore private light motor vehicles and more than 1 lakh personal two-wheelers over 15 years old were on the Indian streets. The demand for the purchase of light motor vehicles has been increasing every year as India witnesses more buying and selling of cars.

Regional Transport Office or RTO has divided vehicles into two broad categories - Light Motor Vehicle (LMV) and Heavy Motor Vehicle (HMV), where LMV belongs to the non-transport class.

Read along to learn more about LMVs.

A light motor vehicle (LMV) does not serve any commercial purpose. If you have an LMV licence, you have the permit to drive light motor vehicles. These include jeeps, cars, auto-rickshaws, taxis, etc. However, to receive an LMV licence, you must meet the eligibility criteria and pass the driving test.

LMVs have a gross vehicle weight of not more than 7500 kg. LMVs have a smaller engine capacity which is around 50cc or less. Light motor vehicles constitute vehicles with black letters on a white number plate.

The types of driving licences used for light motor vehicles are as follows:

1. LMV-NT (Light Motor Vehicle - Non-Transport): LMV-NT is the first licence category for light motor vehicles. Here are the things you must keep in mind:

• Individuals driving light motor vehicles get a permanent driving licence under this category. However, you must apply for a learner's licence before obtaining a permanent driving licence.
• Under the light motor vehicle licence category, you get permission to drive vehicles for personal purposes only.

2. LMV-TR (Light Motor Vehicle - Transport): It is another category of licence used for LMV and is called LMV-TR.

• You can drive both private and transport vehicles. These include - cars, jeeps, delivery vans, taxis, etc.
• Individuals driving under this category also get a permanent driving licence.

Furthermore, the applicant's minimum age must be 18 years for both of these licences. If you are below 18 years, you can be entitled to legal compensation.

In India, RTO issues a driving licence depending on your vehicle class. Having an LMV licence is important because of several reasons:

• It serves as valid identity proof.
• It is a permit that will let you drive vehicles on the road without any restrictions.
• Acquiring an LMV licence ensures that the Government authorises you as a licenced and skilled driver.

Apart from being a mandatory legal requirement to drive a light motor vehicle on the road, here are some benefits of having an LMV licence:

• In India, an individual holding an LMV-NT licence can drive an omnibus, provided the gross vehicle weight must not exceed 7500 kilograms as per transport section 2(21).
• You can utilise the LMV licence for personal identification and use the licence in place of your other identity documents such as your Aadhar card, passport etc.

Following is the light motor vehicle list:

• Motor cars
• Auto-rickshaws
• Vans
• Jeeps
• Taxis
• Delivery Vans
• E-cart
• E-Rickshaw

As per news from last year, The Minister for Road Transport & Highways made a Suo Moto Statement in the Parliament proposing a "Vehicle Scrapping Policy." India has about 51 lakh Light Motor Vehicles older than 20 years and 34 lakh Light Motor Vehicles older than 15 years. Older motor vehicles pollute the environment and pose risks to road safety.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways introduced the Voluntary Vehicle-Fleet Modernisation Program or "Vehicle Scrapping Policy" to enhance a clean and safe environment and ensure rider safety. It is an Eco-System for phasing out polluting and dangerous vehicles. Moreover, if you are driving a light motor vehicle, you must be conversant with traffic rules and regulations to increase road safety.