Quick answer. You can check your driving licence (ड्राइविंग लाइसेंस) application status online for free on the official Government of India Sarathi portal, sarathi.parivahan.gov.in. Select your state, open the Application Status option, and enter your application number with your date of birth to see the current stage.
If you are short on time: jump straight to How to check driving licence status.
Authority: Your state RTO, under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). Portal: sarathi.parivahan.gov.in (Sarathi). The umbrella site is parivahan.gov.in. What you need: Your application number and date of birth. A captcha appears on screen. Timeline: Processing time varies by state and RTO. Check the portal for live updates. Safety: Checking your status is always free. Never pay an agent or share an OTP to “track” your file.
A status check shows where your driving licence application currently sits. It can tell you if your documents are under verification, if your licence is approved, or if it has been printed and dispatched.
There are two stages of licence in India. First you apply for a learner's licence (LL), then for the permanent driving licence (DL). You can track both on the Sarathi portal using their separate application numbers.
The exact stage names and on-screen labels vary by state and RTO. Treat the labels below as a general guide and follow the prompts shown for your state.
Go to sarathi.parivahan.gov.in in your browser. This is the Government of India portal for licence services.
Choose your state from the list. Each state RTO runs its own Sarathi dashboard, so your state must be selected first.
Look for the Application Status menu (the exact wording can vary by state). This is the option used to track LL, DL, renewal, and duplicate licence applications.
Enter your application number and your date of birth. Type the captcha shown on screen.
Submit the form to see the current stage of your application. Read the status against the meanings table below, and follow any next-step note shown on screen.
If your DL is already issued and you only want to confirm its details, use the “Know Your Licence Status” option. This needs your driving licence number and date of birth instead of an application number.
You can also use the official mParivahan app by the National Informatics Centre. It lets you view your digital DL and check licence details on your phone.
| Detail | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Application number | The acknowledgement slip or SMS you received after applying |
| Date of birth | As entered in your licence application |
| State and RTO | The office where you applied |
| Captcha | Shown on the status page itself |
| DL number | On an already-issued licence (for the licence-status lookup) |
| Status shown | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Pending / Under process | Your file is with the RTO and being worked on |
| Approved | The RTO has cleared your licence |
| Printed / Dispatched | The card is printed and being sent, often by post |
| Rejected / Query raised | An issue needs your action; read the remarks shown |
Exact stage names differ by state and RTO. If a status is unclear, contact your RTO or check the portal again.
Some delay is normal, as processing times vary by state and RTO. First, re-check the status after a few working days and confirm your application number is correct.
If the status has not moved for a long time, visit or contact your RTO and quote your application number. Ask politely what is pending and what you can do to clear it.
If the RTO does not respond or the file stays stuck without reason, you can use the Right to Information (RTI) Act to ask for an official answer.
Under the Right to Information Act, 2005, you can ask the RTO for the status of your file and the reason for any delay. A short RTI often gets a clear, written reply.
A well-worded RTI to the Public Information Officer of your RTO is your strongest legal tool for an unexplained delay.
Open the official Sarathi portal at sarathi.parivahan.gov.in, select your state, and open the Application Status option. Enter your application number and date of birth, type the captcha, and submit. The portal shows the current stage of your application. The exact labels can vary by state and RTO, so follow the prompts shown for your state.
No. Checking your driving licence status on the official Parivahan and Sarathi portals is free. You only pay the standard government fees during the application itself. If anyone asks for money just to check or “track” your status, it is a scam. Use only the official portal and never pay an agent for a status check.
A learner's licence (LL) is the first stage and lets you learn to drive under conditions. After a waiting period, you apply for the permanent driving licence (DL) and take a driving test. Both have their own application numbers, and you can track each one separately on the Sarathi portal by selecting your state and entering the relevant number.
Processing time varies by state and by RTO workload. There is no single nationwide deadline that we can confirm, so check the portal for live updates on your file. If your status has not changed for a long time, contact your RTO with your application number. For an unexplained delay, an RTI request to the RTO often gets a written answer.
Yes. The official mParivahan app, run by the National Informatics Centre under MoRTH, lets you view your digital driving licence and check its details on your phone. For application status before the licence is issued, the Sarathi portal Application Status option is the reliable route. Download mParivahan only from your phone's official app store.
Last reviewed: 2 June 2026 — RTI Wiki editorial team. Always confirm your final status on the official portal.