Driving Licence Online Application in Kerala

A driving licence is a key document that every person above 18 years of age must have in order to drive a vehicle in India. As per the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, it is important for a vehicle owner in India to have a valid driving licence in order to drive on all public roads in the country. In accordance with that, to be able to drive in Kerala, you must have a driving licence. Learn about how to apply for a driving licence in Kerala, the application process and the fee structure.

Different Types of Driving Licence in Kerala

Just like any other state, the type of driving licence one can hold in Kerala depends on the class and type of motor vehicle. The different types of driving licence in Kerala are of three categories:

1. For gearless two-wheelers (such as mopeds, gearless motorcycles, scooters, etc.)
2. For light motor vehicles (such as private cars, bikes, etc.)
3. For heavy motor vehicles/commercial vehicles/transport vehicles (such as trucks, trailers, etc.)

Eligibility Criteria & Documents Required for DL Application in Kerala

For a person to be eligible to obtain a driving licence in Kerala, they must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Be of at least 18 years of age
• Have a learner’s licence permit
• Pass the driving test and be aware of traffic rules and regulations
• Apply for a permanent driving licence between 30 to 180 days from the date of obtaining the learner’s permit.
• Be above 20 years of age and have held a driving licence to drive a light motor vehicle (LMV) for at least a year, in case applying for a commercial driving licence

If a person is eligible to apply for a driving licence in Kerala, he/she is supposed to submit the following documents to the local RTO:

• Form 4
• Form 5 (in case applying for a commercial driving licence)
• Proof of address (Voter’s ID card, Ration Card, Passport, etc.)
• Original learner’s licence
• Passport sized photographs
• Age proof (Birth certificate, educational certificate)

Step-by-Step Process to Apply for Driving Licence in Kerala

In general, there are 4 basic steps that you need to follow in order to apply for a driving licence, which are:

• Fill your application form
• Submit/upload your documents
• Pay the DL application fee
• Book your driving licence test slot

There are two ways by which you can get started on your application process, online as well as offline.

In case you wish to apply for your driving licence offline, you need to follow the steps below:

Step 1: Visit your concerned zonal Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Kerala

Step 2: Fill the application form with your correct and updated details

Step 3: Submit your application, along with the documents mentioned in the previous section

Step 4: You will be allotted a slot for the driving test

Step 5: Visit your concerned RTO on the date of the slot booked for your document verification and a driving test

Step 6: After you have passed the test, you will be issued a licence in two to three weeks

In case you wish to apply for your driving licence online, you need to go through the following procedure:

Step 1: Visit the website parivahan.gov.in/parivahan

Step 2: Click on “online services” and choose ‘Driving license related services’ from the drop down menu

Step 3: Select Kerala as the name of your state

Step 4: Click on Driving Licence and select A New Driving Licence

Step 5: Press Continue and Fill your applicant details, such as your Learner’s licence number, date of birth, etc

Step 6: Upload the documents mentioned in the previous section, along with your photograph.

Step 7: Pay the application fee and book a slot for your driving skills test

Step 8: Visit the RTO to give the driving test

Step 9: After you have passed the test, your driving licence will be delivered to the registered address

Driving Licence (DL) Fees in Kerala

The fee structure for driving licence application in Kerala has been segregated into three parts: the test fee, the DL issue fee and the Smart Card fee.

The test fee, or the repeat test fee (whatever the case may be), for each class of vehicle, is of Rs. 300. The DL issue fee is a standard Rs. 200, meanwhile the fee for Smart Card is of Rs. 200 as well.

Process for Renewal of Driving Licence After Expiry in Kerala

Since a driving licence is an official document that any person driving a vehicle must have, it is important to ensure that you renew your licence after it expires. If you are caught driving a vehicle with an expired driving licence, you will be subjected to heavy fines, or imprisonment, or both. A driving licence in Kerala is issued for a period of 20 years, post which you must apply for a renewal after every 5 years.

Documents Required:

To get your driving licence renewed in Kerala after it expires, you need to be in possession of the following documents:

• Form 9
• Form 1A (if the age of the applicant is more than 40)
• Copy of the expired DL
• Medical certificate (if the age of the applicant is more than 40)
• Address proof
• Proof of age
• Passport sized photographs

 Application Process:

You can apply for renewal of your driving licence in the following way:

Step 1: Collect Form 9, which is for renewal of DL, from your nearest RTO and fill it up. You can also download the form from the Kerala transport Department official website

Step 2: Submit the form, along with the documents mentioned above, to your concerned RTO Office in Kerala state.

Step 3: Pay a DL renewal fee of Rs. 200

After your documents and application form is verified, the RTO office will issue a renewed licence to you on the same day itself.

Process to Check Driving Licence (DL) Application Status Online in Kerala

If you have applied for a driving licence in Kerala, you can easily check the status of your application online. There are two separate ways for you to do that. You can either check your application status via the official Transport Department website of the Kerala government, or you can check through the Parivahan Sewa portal, curated by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).

If you choose to check your driving licence application status through the state transport department website, you would be ultimately redirected to the Parivahan Sewa website. This is so because the MoRTH has been striving towards making a centralised system for all transportation-related services and activities in India.

To check the application status of your DL, visit https://parivahan.gov.in/parivahan/ and click on Online Services → Driving Licence Related Service.

Step 1: Choose the state from the drop down menu

Step 2: From there, select the icon ‘Application Status’ from the page

Step 3: Enter your application number, date of birth and captcha code

Step 4: After you click on the Submit button, you will get to see all information related to your DL application in Kerala

How to Get Duplicate Driving Licence in Kerala

There may be instances where your driving licence gets lost, is stolen, or is damaged. In any of these cases, you must immediately apply for a duplicate driving licence. The process of obtaining a duplicate driving licence in Kerala is fairly straightforward.

Eligibility:

You will be allowed to apply for a duplicate driving licence in Kerala only if your driving licence is lost, stolen or mutilated.

Documents Required:

To apply for a duplicate licence, you must submit the documents mentioned below:

• Application form LLD
• Copy of the FIR filed, in the event the licence is stolen
• Form 1
• Address proof
• Proof of age
• Copy of original licence
• Challan clearance report, issued by the traffic police (applicable in case of a commercial driving licence)

Fee:

As in the case of applying for a driving licence in Kerala, for a duplicate driving licence, you need to pay a fee of Rs. 200 as well.

Process to Apply:

Step 1: Fill the application form LLD

Step 2: Submit the application, plus the documents required to the concerned RTO

Step 3: Make payment of the application fee of Rs. 200

Step 4: Collect the receipt

Once your documents and application is verified, you will receive a duplicate DL at your registered address. It is important to remember that you should apply for a duplicate DL within 30 days of the date of loss or damage.