Types of Driving Licence in India & DL Vehicle Classes You Should Know
The Regional Transport Offices in India are accountable for issuing a driving licence (DL). This government body is also known as the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) in our country. A typical driving licence contains vehicle information, owner’s details, signature of Registering authority and the official stamp. A vehicle owner must carry a driving licence while driving on public roads in India. The primary eligibility criteria to apply for a driving licence is that a person should at least be 18 years old. However, the eligibility criteria vary according to the types of driving licence. Learn more about different types of driving licence in India and the DL vehicle classes.
Types of Driving Licence
The four major types of driving licences issued in India are learner driving licence, permanent driving licence, commercial driving licence and international driving licence. You can submit an application for these licences at the local RTOs. These four types of driving licences have some major differences between them. Read below to know more about different types of driving licence:
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Learner’s Driving Licence
If you are still learning to drive and it requires driving practice on public roads, then you have to apply for a learner driving licence. A learner driving licence is only valid for six months after which it is considered null. After the expiry of the learner licence, you can apply for a permanent licence. You can apply for a permanent driving licence only after 1 month of issuance of a learner licence. You have to go through a mandatory driving test to upgrade to a permanent driving licence from the learner driving licence. A piece of key information for a learner driving licence holder is that they cannot drive alone on roads. They can practice on roads only in a presence of a permanent driving licence holder.
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Permanent Driving Licence
A standard driving licence is known commonly as a permanent driving licence. It is issued to private vehicle owners to allow them to drive specific types of vehicles on roads. Apart from the submission of documents and application form, it is mandatory to pass a driving test for obtaining a permanent licence. One of the most important eligibility criteria for getting a permanent licence is that an applicant should at least be 18 years old. A typical driving licence besides containing the driver’s information also mentions the type of vehicle for which the driving licence is issued.
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Commercial Driving licence
Commercial vehicles are employed for the transportation of goods from one region to another region. To obtain a commercial driving licence, a series of steps are involved in the application process. Just like a permanent driving licence, the commercial driving licence is also issued by the RTOs. The application procedure is somewhat similar, however, in the case of a commercial driving licence, it is important to submit a medical certificate along with other relevant documents. The eligibility criteria are also different, a person should at least be 20 years of and must have passed 8th class examinations to get a commercial driving licence in India.
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International Driving Licence
An International Driving Licence is an official document issued by the RTO. It basically permits a person to drive on foreign roads. An IDP or International Driving Permit is required when a person has to rent a car in a foreign country. The basic eligibility criteria for an IDP is that the person applying for this licence should be above 18 years of age. Also, a person can only apply for an IDP in India if he/she holds a permanent driving licence. An International Driving Licence is only valid for a specific time period. In India, an IDP is valid for 1 year after which it has to be renewed.
Different Vehicle Class & Categories in Driving Licence
The different types of driving licence class and categories in India with their full meaning is listed in the below table:
| Driving Licence Class | Full-Form/Meaning |
|---|---|
| MC 50CC | Vehicles having an engine capacity less than or equal to 50cc |
| MCWOG/FVG | Vehicles without gears such as scooters and mopeds |
| LMV-NT | Light motor vehicles of the non-transport class |
| MC EX50CC | Motorcycles with gears having an engine capacity of more than or equal to 50cc |
| M/CYCL WG | Motorcycles with gears having an engine capacity of more than 175cc |
| MGV | For medium goods vehicle |
| LMV | Light motor vehicles such as motorcars, jeeps, taxis, vans |
| HMV | Heavy Motor Vehicles |
| HGMV | Heavy Goods Motor Vehicle |
| HPMV | Heavy Passenger Motor Vehicle |
| HTV | Heavy Transport Vehicle |
| Trailer | A person having a heavy vehicle licence can obtain a heavy trailer licenceLogon to Vaahan Jaankari to check vehicle registration and owner information |
Difference between HMV and LMV
HMV stands for heavy motor vehicles. An HMV class of licence permits a person to operate commercial vehicles such as trucks, buses, etc. Thus, HMV licence holders have permission to drive heavy vehicles. However, the driver should meet the eligibility criteria to drive a commercial vehicle or a public transport vehicle. LMV stands for light motor vehicles. An LMV class of licence permits a person to drive personal vehicles. Thus, LMV licence holders can drive non-transport motor vehicles including personal cars and jeeps.