The new driving licence rules laid by the Union Ministry of Road Transport are good news for all new applicants. Under these new guidelines, you can get a driving licence without appearing for any driving test at the Regional Transport Office (RTO). 

However, you have to get training and pass a test from a government accredited driving training centre. These new rules are effective from July 2021 with a new fees structure, variations, and details.

The driving licence new rules focus on improving the driving training process and making driving training tests more precise. The nitty-gritty of this training will give industry-specific specialised training to be ethical, courteous, and well-skilled to avoid road accidents.

Now getting a licence won't depend on undergoing and passing the test at RTO rather on passing the driving test at the institute after thorough and systematic training.

After every five years, the institute has to renew its accreditation. To strengthen the training process, the driving institute will get affiliation or accreditation after scrutinising the following points by the government transport authority -

• Minimum space should be one acre of land for two and three-wheeler training centres. For heavy vehicle training, space should have two-acres of land. 
• Should have a stimulator and test track.
• The trainer should have passed higher secondary and have at least five years of driving experience.
• The centre should be equipped with information technology and a biometric system.
• Should conduct high-quality driving track tests according to the curriculum prescribed by the transport authority.
• Training for light vehicles will be of 29 hours and must be completed within four weeks of starting. It will be subdivided into the theory and practical curriculum. 8 hours for theory and 21 hours for practical driving learning.
• For medium and heavy motor vehicles, the training duration will be 38 hours and must be completed within 6 weeks of starting. 8 hours for theory and 31 hours for practical classes.

The RTO new rule for driving licence application is very simple to apply through the online process:

1. Visit the portal of the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.
2. Select the state where you reside and the type of driving licence you want to apply for.
3. Fill in the application form, upload all required documents, and pay the fees.
4. Verify your payment status and click on “Submit”.

You will receive the driving licence at your residence through the post.

For offline application, you have to visit the nearby RTO office and collect the form. Submit the filled up forms, documents and fees.

Documents to submit with an application under new licence rules are as follows -

• Age Proof – May submit an educational certificate, birth certificate, passport, pan card, or employer certificate
• Address Proof – May submit ration card, passport, aadhar card, rent agreement, utility bill, or Life Insurance policy certificate
• Passport-size photo
• Application Form no. 4
• Form no. 1 and 1A as a medical certificate