Learner’s License

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A Learner’s License¹ is a temporary license which is valid for 6 months, which legally allows you to practice driving on Indian roads, as long as you are accompanied by an adult who holds a valid Driving License.² Please note that you must be 18 years old before you apply for a DL for a vehicle other than a transport vehicle, so you need to get your Learner’s License renewed or get a new one, depending on the regulations of your state, if you get your Learner’s License before you turn 18 years of age. For example, in some states you can get your learners license after the age of 16 years to drive a motorbike of 50 cc with the permission of your parents or guardian.

You can apply for a DL in any state where you either live or ordinarily conduct business, or where a school of driving is located from where you have taken your training.³ The DL is issued by the Regional Transport Office (RTO)/ Regional Transport Authority (RTA) of each State, under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways,.

Criteria for Grant of Learner’s License

Any person can be granted a Learner’s License, if you meet the following criteria:

• You are at least 16 years of age⁴
• Your parents/guardians have given consent, in case you want to drive a motorcycle without gear⁵ 
• You are not disqualified from holding³ a Driving License

Precautions to be taken while Driving with a Learner’s License

You should take the following precautions while driving a motor vehicle with a learner’s permit:

• You are accompanied by an adult who holds a valid Driving License who will be able to control or stop the vehicle, if necessary² 
• The letter “L” is painted, in the front and the rear of the vehicle, or a sign is affixed with the letter “L”. The painting should be at least 18 centimeters square, and the letter “L” should be at least 10 centimeters high, 2 centimeters thick and 9 centimeters wide at the bottom.⁶ 
• You are not carrying any passengers with you, if you are on a motorcycle, except your instructor.⁶ 

Penalty for Underage Driving

There is a strict penalty in place for those who allow minor persons to drive their motor vehicles without following the provisions mentioned above. Further, the juvenile will be punished under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000, in addition to the provisions of Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.⁷

You can get a new Learner’s License, get it renewed or get a duplicate. If you require any additional help and support, please see here.

Read this government resource to know more

1. Transport Department (Government of Delhi), Learner License, http://transport.delhi.gov.in/content/learner-licence[↩]
2. Rule 3(b), Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989[↩][↩]
3. Section 8(1), Motor Vehicles Act, 1988[↩][↩]
4. Section 4(1), Motor Vehicles Act, 1988[↩]
5. Section 72, Motor Vehicles Act, 1988; Rule 12, Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989[↩]
6. Rule 3, Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989[↩][↩]
7. Section 199A(6), Motor Vehicles Act, 1988[↩]