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Driving License Renewal

  • Driving Licence Online

It is a memorable moment for individuals to get their driving licence. However, certain people procrastinate or don’t bother about renewing their driving licence when it is due for expiry. Driving a vehicle without a driving licence is considered to be an offence, but still, people do it.

You have to be aware of the expiry date of your driving licence, especially when it is nearing. You need to renew it after it gets expired.

Why is it essential to renew your driving licence?

According to the Motor Vehicles Act, it is compulsory for drivers to carry a valid driving licence while driving on the road. The driving licence that has been issued by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways is valid only for a fixed interval of time. As per the rules and regulations, the application for driving licence renewal has to be made within the time of 30 days from the expiration date.

As per Section 177 of the Motor Vehicles Act, nobody should drive without a valid driving licence. It is a punishable offence if anyone does so. If a person is caught without a driving licence, then he might have to pay a fine of Rs. 500, or it could even result in imprisonment for three months.

The validity of a permanent driving licence is 20 years or until you reach the age of 50. It depends on whichever comes first. The validity of an expired driving licence is of 30 days. Driving licence renewal is possible even after 30 days, but you will have to pay the penalty fees. The government is giving 30 days so that you can renew your driving licence after it has expired. If you do not renew the expired driving licence within a period of 5 years from the expiration date, then you will have to again go through all the procedures and apply for a new driving licence.

If your driving licence has expired, then go on reading this article to understand the process of driving licence renewal in a relaxed manner.

What are the ways to apply for driving licence renewal?

In India, driving licence is valid for 20 years. You need driving licence renewal after 20 long years. The span of 20 years is a very long time, and this is the reason why people don't even pay attention to the expiry date of the driving licence.

It might happen that you would come to know about the expiration of licence when you are asked to show your documents in front of the traffic police. If you do not want to be in such a state, then you must check your licence's expiry date and start the driving licence renewal procedure beforehand. Let us move towards the ways to apply for driving licence renewal.

There are two ways to apply for driving licence renewal. Both these ways require some of your documents, and you also have to pay the renewal fees. So, let us have a look at both of these ways, and you choose your method for driving licence renewal.

  • Renew Driver’s licence Online –

This is the preferred procedure, in our opinion, because it saves a lot of your time. Technology has made it feasible to avail various services online so, there is no need for you to visit the Regional Transport Office (RTO) every time.

Visit the link of RTO to begin your process of online driving licence renewal.

First of all, select the Indian state in the field of residence. After that, click on apply online and in that, the option of services related to the driving licence. When you click on it, you will be redirected to the driving licence renewal form. The licence renewal form will have several fields, and you need to fill them. You have to take a printout of the forms as well as the acknowledgement receipt. Fill all the details that are asked in the forms. Follow the steps that are mentioned and then upload your documents. After the completion of the online procedure, you will receive a text message on your registered mobile number. The text will be that your driving licence renewal is under process. After a few days, your renewed driving licence will be sent to your home via post. The online procedure of driving licence renewal does not require any intervention of the third party.

  • Renew Driver’s licence Offline –

If you are not tech-savvy and want to go with the conventional procedure, then the offline method is suitable for you. In the offline process, you will have to visit the RTO office personally. You will have to visit the RTO office at least two times for driving licence renewal. The first round will be for the collection and application of all the forms. You will have to collect the driving licence renewal form and fill it. The second round will be for the submission and verification of all the documents and the payment of fees. Your driving licence renewal form will be verified at this place, along with all the other documents.

Once you have submitted all your documents, the RTO Officials will begin their work of verifying your documents. In most of the cases, the smart card of renewed driving licence will be provided to you on the same day. The renewed driving licence will reach your home via post, within a span of 30 days after successful verification of all the documents.

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If you choose the online option for driving license renewal, then you have to download the forms and then fill them. Scan the forms after filling them and upload all the scanned copies of the documents on the RTO website.

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What are the necessary documents for Driving licence Renewal?

As we have discussed earlier, you can either apply online or offline for driving licence renewal.

If you choose the online option for driving licence renewal, then you have to download the forms and then fill them. Scan the forms after filling them and upload all the scanned copies of the documents on the RTO website.

If you choose the offline option for licence renewal, then you have to visit the RTO office and submit all the documents personally. If you are selecting this option, then it is also advisable to carry multiple photocopies of the documents and also self-attest them before submitting them in the office.

Here is the list of documents that are essential for driving licence renewal:

  • Duly filled licence renewal form of application.
  • Copy of the medical certificate of the applicant.
  • Any government-issued document like PAN Card, Aadhar Card, Voter ID, etc. for age proof.
  • Electricity bill, passport, phone bill, etc. for address proof.
  • Passport-size photographs.
  • The original driving licence which has expired.
  • If there is any case of an address change, then a permanent licence holder has to update the address within one month. You can also visit the RTO office or apply online to modify your address.
  • If the person has shifted from one state to another, then, he has to submit a copy of NOC from the previous state.

What is the validity of a renewed driving licence?

An expired driving licence is considered to be invalid, and the police can charge you with heavy fines or even imprisonment if you are caught on the roads. So, it is better to apply for driving licence renewal as soon as it gets expired. The driving licence renewal will help you to stay on the right side of the law.

Your first driving licence has a validity of 20 years. After that, you have to apply for driving licence renewal in 30 days to get your driving licence renewed. Once you renew your driving licence, there is a validity period of the renewed driving licence. Do not think that once you have renewed it, your work is over.

The validity of the renewed driving licence depends upon the type of vehicle. There is a three years validity of the renewed driving licence for Transport vehicle type. And there is five years' validity for the Non-Transport vehicle type.

It is essential to provide correct and accurate information when you are filling the driving licence renewal form. The documents that have been submitted by you should be authentic. The renewed driving licence that you receive has a shorter duration of validity as compared to the first driving licence that you get.  You need to apply for the driving licence renewal again, once it gets expired after 5 years for non-transport vehicles, and three years for a transport vehicle.

What are the fees for driving licence renewal?

The fees of the driving licence renewal process would depend upon two factors:

  • The kind of driving licence you are applying for.
  • The application is made within the grace period or not.

Let us first have a look at the fees for the book form of licence.

  • If the application of the driving licence is made within the grace period of 30 days, then the fees for driving licence renewal are Rs. 200.
  • If the application of the driving licence is not made within the grace period of 30 days, then the fees for driving licence renewal are Rs. 200 + Rs. 1000 fine.

Now, let us have a look at the fees for the smart card form of licence.

  • If the application of the driving licence is made within the grace period of 30 days, then the fees for driving licence renewal are Rs. 400.
  • If the application of the driving licence is not made within the grace period of 30 days, then the fees for driving licence renewal are Rs. 400 + Rs. 1000 fine.

If there is any case of changes in the residential address, then you will have to pay an extra Rs. 200.

You have to be ready with all the documents as per the method you choose for driving licence renewal. If you forget to renew your driving licence, then that could lead to hefty fines, or there are even chances of imprisonment. It is preferable to set a reminder so that you do not forget about driving licence renewal.

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