The Aadhaar card is one of the most important identity documents for Indians. It is critical for availing of the benefits of various government schemes. As part of attaching all other official identity documents with the Aadhaar card, the Central government has listed guidelines to link your Aadhaar card with your driving licence. It means two-wheeler and four-wheeler owners would now need to share their Aadhaar card details to obtain a new driving licence. Also, you must have your Aadhaar card attached to your driving licence for licence renewal purposes.
The UIDAI mandates Indian citizens to link their Aadhaar cards with their driving licence to curb the growing menace of duplicate and fake driver’s licences in the country. A report by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways revealed that 30% of driver’s licences in India are fraudulent. They expect the new provision to overcome the problem of forged and counterfeit documents.
In addition to linking the Aadhaar card with the driving licence, vehicle owners must buy a robust motor insurance policy to safeguard themselves against road mishaps and related losses.
A detailed guide on how to link your Aadhaar card with your driving licence
State road transport departments issue driving licences to the residents of their respective states and union territories. To link your Aadhaar card with your driving licence, visit the website of your state transport department or that of the state where the driving licence was issued.
Remember, the process for linking an Aadhaar card with a driving licence may vary slightly from state to state. However, the need to have a valid bike and/or car insurance plan, depending on the vehicle(s) you own, is uniform across India.
To link your Aadhaar card with your driving licence, follow these steps:
- Visit the relevant licence-issuing state road transport department website.
- Search for the “Link Aadhaar” tab on the homepage of the given website and click on it.
- It will take you to a new webpage. Find the “Aadhaar Number Entry" tab and click on it.
- Select the “Driving Licence” tab from the drop-down menu.
- When the system prompts, enter your licence number.
- Click on the “Get Details" tab.
- Your driving licence details would appear on the screen.
- Now, enter your UIDAI-registered mobile number and 12-digit Aadhaar card number in the appropriate boxes.
- Double-check entered details. Then, click the “Submit” tab.
- The system will generate an OTP and send it to your registered mobile number for verification purposes.
- Once the OTP is verified, your Aadhaar card will be linked with your driving licence on the official portal of the state transport department.
Benefits of linking the Aadhaar card with your driving licence
Some benefits of linking your Aadhaar card with your driving licence are:
- It will help in reducing corrupt practices, improve transparency, and make the licence-issuing process easy, smooth, and hassle-free.
- Government agencies can access the database containing licence details of all vehicle owners in India via the Aadhaar-based unified platform.
- Authorised agencies can identify fake driving licences from genuine ones through this drive.
- Transport authorities can sift out forged documents and take disciplinary action against individuals with multiple licences.
- The consolidated online database bearing details of automobile owners in India will dissuade people from renewing duplicate licences.
- Individuals can receive their driving licence within 72 hours after passing the driving test thanks to electronic processing.
- Linking the Aadhaar card with the driving licence will go a long way in reducing the number of road accidents since individuals cannot obtain a licence without clearing the driving test.
- Both individuals and government bodies can benefit from quicker and hassle-free operations.