Driving licence apply Sarathi LL DL 2026

A driving licence in India starts with a learner licence on Sarathi, then a permanent DL after about one month. Open sarathi.parivahan.gov.in, select your state first, and pay only the fee that screen shows. Central Parivahan fees sit under CMV Rule 32. States add their own user charges.

Do not treat an agent quote as the national price. Keep the application number and the fee receipt.

On this page

• LL then DL flow
• Official Parivahan fees
• Sarathi steps
• Documents
• RTI to the RTO PIO
• FAQ

There is no single-step DL apply online that skips the learner stage for a first-time licence. Motor Vehicles Act 1988 issues a learner licence first (section 8), then a driving licence after a test of competence (section 9).

Typical sequence:

1. Apply for a learner licence (LL) on sarathi.parivahan.gov.in after selecting your state.
2. Pass the learner test the state configures (online from home in some states, at the RTO in others).
3. Hold the LL for about one month.
4. Apply for New Driving Licence, book the competence test, and take the test with a suitable vehicle.
5. Track the file on Sarathi. Collect the DL or download the digital copy when the status says issued.

The exact screens, slots, and whether you must visit the RTO differ by state. Sarathi itself warns that the flow is state-specific. Read the page that appears after you pick the state.

Age, in outline. A motorcycle without gear in the permitted low-capacity class can start from age 16 with guardian consent. Non-transport vehicles from age 18. Transport vehicles from age 20, subject to the extra conditions your state shows. Confirm the class on the Form 2 screen. Do not rely on a coaching-centre chart.

Form 1 is the self-declaration of physical fitness. Parivahan's published FAQ currently asks for Form 1A (medical certificate) for learner-licence applicants aged 40 or above. Other medical papers may apply to particular classes. Follow the Sarathi checklist for your state.

A learner licence is time-limited. CMV Rules treat Form 3 as valid for a fixed period shown on the licence. Apply for the DL while that LL is still valid.

Status of an already-filed file: driving licence status check 2026. Vehicle papers sit on a different portal. See vehicle RC status check 2026.

These rupee figures are the central licensing fees published on Parivahan's licensing fees page (CMV Rule 32). State user charges are extra. Pay the total Sarathi displays for your state. Do not argue with the clerk using only this table.

Late renewal after the grace period: an extra ₹300, plus ₹1,000 per year or part after the grace period, as that same Parivahan table states.

Two classes on one application mean the per-class rows can appear twice. Gateway or smart-card user charges, if your state levies them, appear only on the Sarathi checkout. There is no honest single all-India DL package price.

Use only sarathi.parivahan.gov.in. Type the address yourself. Look-alike sites copy the logo.

Learner licence on Sarathi

1. Select the concerned state on the Sarathi home page. Nothing else works until that choice is made.
2. Choose the new learner licence service.
3. Fill the application. Upload or present the age and address proofs your state lists. Aadhaar is commonly used as one proof. See how to apply for Aadhaar if you still need enrolment.
4. Pay the portal-generated fee. Save the receipt. Do not rely on an estimated national total.
5. Book the learner test or RTO appointment if the state requires one. An online learner test from home is not available in every state.
6. Carry original documents and the fee slip when instructed.
7. Download or print Form 3 (learner licence) where that service is enabled.

New driving licence after the LL

1. Wait about one month from the learner licence date.
2. Open Driving Licence → New Driving Licence on the same-state Sarathi page.
3. Enter the learner number and date of birth.
4. Complete the form, pay the displayed fee, and book the competence-test slot.
5. Take the test with a vehicle of the class applied for, plus originals, the LL, and the receipt.
6. Track the application. If the status says approved but the card has not arrived, contact the zonal office or state transport department with the application number.

Do not publish or accept claims about a guaranteed pass percentage, same-day approval, or a fixed national delivery period. Track the actual application status.

PAN is sometimes asked as an identity extra on state screens. If you still need one: how to apply for PAN card. Voter ID is a common address proof where the state list allows it.

Typical papers. The binding list is the one Sarathi shows after you select the state.

• Proof of age and address accepted in your state's Form 2 workflow
• Form 1 self-declaration of fitness
• Form 1A medical certificate, where Parivahan or the state asks (commonly age 40+ for LL)
• Photographs as the portal specifies
• Learner licence and application receipt, for the permanent DL stage
• Originals requested for verification at the RTO
• Suitable vehicle and related papers for the class tested, as instructed locally
• Guardian consent, for the under-18 motorcycle-without-gear class

• Skipping state selection and landing on the wrong RTO workflow.
• Paying an agent a full DL package that does not match the Sarathi receipt.
• Booking the competence test before the one-month learner period.
• Assuming every state offers an at-home learner test.
• Signing the application with a name that does not match Aadhaar, then failing verification.
• Treating a coaching-centre pass guarantee as an official Parivahan promise.
• Asking an RTI PIO to grant the licence. RTI gets the file status, not a driving test result.

If the LL or DL file is stuck after the test, first download the Sarathi status and any rejection note. Correct the stated defect or use the transport department's grievance channel.

For a public RTO, file RTI under RTI Act 2005 s.6(1) to the Public Information Officer of the licensing authority / RTO that has the application. The PIO must reply in 30 days under s.7(1). File a first appeal under s.19(1) if that clock is ignored.

Fee and mode follow your state's RTI fee. Draft with the AI RTI Drafter. Appeal with the First Appeal Builder. The longer method sits in The RTI Playbook.

1. Status of learner licence / driving licence application number dated , as on the date of this reply.
2. Name and designation of the dealing officer at the licensing authority.
3. Date-wise movement of the file after the test / fee date, and a copy of notings.
4. The recorded deficiency or speaking order, and the Motor Vehicles Act or CMV Rule cited.
5. Whether the licence is approved, printed, or dispatched, and the date of that entry.

Do not ask the PIO to pass you on the competence test. Ask for the recorded result and the next official step.

Open sarathi.parivahan.gov.in, select your state, apply for a learner licence first, pay the fee shown, and complete the state's test. After about one month, apply for New Driving Licence on the same-state page and book the competence test. There is no Union shortcut that skips the LL for a first licence.

A learner licence (Form 3) is the first-stage permit under Motor Vehicles Act section 8. It lets you learn under the conditions printed on it. It is not the permanent DL. You still need the later competence test and the issue of the driving licence.

No. Online testing and faceless services depend on the state configuration shown after you select your state on Sarathi. Some states still require an RTO slot.

Central table: LL issue ₹150 per class, LL test ₹50, competence test ₹300 per class, DL issue ₹200. State user charges extra. Pay what Sarathi shows. The source is Parivahan's licensing fees page.

Parivahan's current FAQ says Form 1A is required for learner-licence applicants aged 40 or above. Other medical requirements may apply to particular classes or state processes. Follow the checklist on your state screen.

Sarathi says to pay the applicable retest fee and book a fresh appointment through the selected-state portal. The central LL retest fee in the Parivahan table is ₹50. Your state may add a user charge.

Use Application Status on the same-state Sarathi page with the application number and date of birth. Checking status is free.

Yes. Sarathi has an addition-of-class service. The central Parivahan fee is ₹500, plus a competence test at ₹300 per class, plus state user charges. Do not assume the original DL automatically covers a new class.

• Driving licence status check 2026
• Vehicle RC status check 2026
• How to apply for Aadhaar
• How to apply for PAN card
• How to apply guides
• AI RTI Drafter
• The RTI Playbook

• Official Sarathi portal
• Parivahan: licensing related fees and charges
• Motor Vehicles Act 1988, s.8 and s.9
• CMV Rules 1989, Rule 32 (fee table)
• RTI fees by state
• RTI Act 2005, s.6(1), s.7(1), s.19(1)

Reviewed for RTI Wiki by Dr. Shrawan Kumar Pathak.