Driving License Renewal

It is a memorable moment for an individual to get their driving license. This is the time from where you can drive around on the road with any vehicle of your choice. However, certain people procrastinate or don’t bother about renewing their driving license when it is due for expiry. Driving a vehicle without a driving license is considered to be an offence, but still, people do it.

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

Why is it essential to renew your driving license?

According to the Motor Vehicles Act, it is compulsory for drivers to carry a valid driving license while driving on the road. The driving license 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 license 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 license. It is a punishable offence if anyone does so. If a person is caught without a driving license, 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 license is 20 years or until you reach the age of 50. It depends on whichever comes first. The validity of an expired driving license is of 30 days. Driving license 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 license after it has expired. If you do not renew the expired driving license 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 license.

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

What are the ways to apply for driving license renewal?

In India, driving license is valid for 20 years. You need driving license 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 license. Some people can discover the date before the expiration, while for some people, the realization comes at a horrible time.

It might happen that you would come to know about the expiration of license 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 license's expiry date and start the driving license renewal procedure beforehand. Let us move towards the ways to apply for driving license renewal.

There are two ways to apply for driving license renewal. Both of 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 license renewal.

1. Renew Driver’s License 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 that 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 license 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 license. When you click on it, you will be redirected to the driving license renewal form. The license 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 license renewal is under process. After a few days, your renewed driving license will be sent to your home via post. The online procedure of driving license renewal does not require any intervention of the third party.
 

2. Renew Driver’s License 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 license renewal. The first round will be for the collection and application of all the forms. You will have to collect the driving license 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 license 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 license will be provided to you on the same day. The renewed driving license will reach at your home via post in a span of 30 days after successful verification of all the documents.
 

What are the necessary documents for Driving License Renewal?

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

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.

If you choose the offline option for license 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 license renewal:

• Duly filled license 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 license which has expired.
• If there is any case of an address change, then a permanent license 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 a license holder from the previous state has to submit a copy of NOC.

What is the validity of a renewed driving license?

An expired driving license 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 license renewal as soon as it gets expired. The driving license renewal will help you to stay on the right side of the law. 

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

The validity of the renewed driving license depends upon the type of vehicle. There is a three years validity of the renewed driving license 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 license renewal form. The documents that have been submitted by you should be authentic. The renewed driving license that you receive has a shorter duration of validity as compared to the first driving license that you get. You need to apply for driving license renewal again once it gets expired after 5 years for non-transport vehicle and three years for a transport vehicle.

What are the fees for driving license renewal?

The fees of the driving license renewal process would depend upon two factors.

1. The kind of driving license you are applying for.
2. The application is made within the grace period or not.

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

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

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

• If the application of the driving license is made within the grace period of 30 days, then the fees for driving license renewal are Rs. 400.
• If the application of the driving license is not made within the grace period of 30 days, then the fees for driving license 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 will have to be ready with all the documents as per the method you choose for driving license renewal. If you forget to renew your driving license, 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 license renewal. Buy car insurance from Bharti AXA and Enjoy a Smooth Drive.

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