How to apply for a duplicate driving license

All vehicle owners in India are mandated by law to have a driving license. It is one of the most important legal documents that you will have to carry while driving on the Indian roads. If you are caught driving without a driving license you will be fined with Rs.500 and/or imprisonment for up to 3 months under S.3r/w.S181 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.  

However, there can be instances where your driving license can get lost, stolen, or damaged. The transport offices in India provide duplicate driving license to the holders in such casesHence, in case you have lost or misplaced your driving license don’t hesitate and apply for it immediately with the Regional Transport Office (RTO). If your application is found to be genuine you a duplicate driving license will be issued shortly. 

Procedure to apply for a driving license 

The duplicate driving license must be applied with the same RTO that had issued the original one. You can apply for the license either directly at the RTO or online. To initiate the process, submit an application along with the required documents. After successful verification of the documents against your record, you will be issued with a duplicate driving license. 

Documents required to get a duplicate driving license 

 Here are the essential documents that you will have to submit to the RTO to obtain a duplicate driving license :

  • First Information Report (FIR) stating the loss 
  • Original Driving License, if it is in a torn, damaged, or soiled state 
  • Challan Clearance Report, applicable only in case of commercial vehicle licenses 
  • Application Form LLD, to intimate the loss or damage and apply for a duplicate copy 
  • Photocopy of the driving license, if there is any 
  • Details of the driving license 
  • Address proof of the license holder 
  • Age proof of the license holder 
  • Passport sized photographs 

Things to do if you have lost your driving license 

  • As soon as you get to know about the loss, file a First Information Report (FIR) in your local police station or the police station of the area where you lost the license. Make sure to get a copy of the FIR. 
  • Get an affidavit on a stamped paper from the Notary Office. The affidavit will serve as proof that you took an oath before the notary about the loss of your driving license. You will have to pay a small fee for the affidavit. 
  • Apply for a Challan Clearance Report separately and submit to the RTO if the driving license is for commercial vehicles. This id to confirm that there are no outstanding bills associated with the license. 

Steps to apply for a duplicate driving license offline 

 Here are the steps that you have to follow to get a duplicate driving license offline: 

  1. Visit the RTO office from where you got your original driving license. 
  2. Get the LLD formto apply for a duplicate driving license. 
  3. Fill the form with informationlike your name, address, reason for applying a duplicate license, in what circumstances the loss happened, driving license number, the expiry date of the license, etc. 
  4. Once all the information is filled,duly sign it and attach all the essential documents.  
  5. You also need to provide a declaration that your driving license is not seized by any authority. 
  6. Submit the LLD form to the concerned RTO office. 
  7. You need to paya nominal fee of Rs.200 to get a duplicate driving license.  
  8. On completion of the procedure, you will get a receipt which you can use as a substitute for your driving license until you get the duplicate license.

After all your documents are verified successfully, the RTO will issue a duplicate driving license. The license will be sent to your registered home address via post. 

Steps to apply for a duplicate driving license online 

Alternately, you can also apply for a duplicate driving license online without visiting the RTO. The steps are as follows: 

  1. Visit the official website of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways – theSarathi website or parivahan.gov.in. 
  2. Next, select ‘Online Services’ and go to ‘Driving License Related Services’
  3. Select your state from the drop-down list given on the page. You can take the online service only for the states listed on the website.
  4. You will be redirected to the page of the state that you have selected. Under ‘Driving License’ click on ‘Apply Online’.
  5. Services on Driving Licence (Renewal/Duplicate/Aedl/Others) from the drop-down list.
  6. You will be redirected to a new page where you will have to click on ‘Continue’.
  7. You will be presented with an application form. Fill all your details like your driving license number, state you belong to, your name, your date of birth, etc.
  8. Next, submit your request either to your State or the RTO whose jurisdiction falls under your present address.
  9. Once you are done click on ‘Proceed’. You can exit the process by clicking on ‘Exit’.
  10. Then upload documents, if required for issuance of duplicate driving license.
  11.  Upload your photo and signature (this is applicable only in certain states.)
  12. Pay the applicable fees.
  13. You willbe provided with a receipt which can be used instead of driving license until you get the duplicate driving license. 

Once the application formalities are complete, you will receive the duplicate driving license in your registered address. 

Points to remember 

  • Since the RTO will gather all the information from their previous records, the validity of the duplicate driving license will be the same as the original one.  
  • You needn’t undertake a driving test to get a duplicate driving license. 
  • You can apply for a duplicate driving license only if your permanent driving license got stolen, lost or damaged. 
  • Ensure to keep a photocopy of your driving license as you might need certain details mentioned on it for tracking the missing license from the records.