Driving License application process in Gujarat

The Commissionerate of Transport in Gujarat is responsible for issuing the driving license to its citizens in the state. Any individual can apply for a driving license for a two-wheeler, a four-wheeler, and a heavy vehicle through a simple online or offline process which is same as most of the states in India. This article will show you how to go about getting one easily and conveniently.

Types of driving license in Gujarat

  • Learner’s/learning license: Before obtaining a permanent driving license in Gujarat, an applicant needs to apply for a learner’s license first. This is a temporary license with a validity of 6 months. It is issued when the applicant is in the process of learning a motor vehicle.
  • Permanent driving license: After 1 month of getting a learner’s license, you can apply for a permanent license.
  • Driving license for motorcycles without gear: You can apply for this kind of permanent driving license if you wish to ride a scooter or moped that does not have a manual gearbox. The applicants should be at least 16 years of age to procure such a license
  • Driving license for light motor vehicle: This class of driving license can be applied by the people who are willing to drive a light motor vehicle such as bikes or cars. To get this license, an applicant must be at least 18 years old.
  • Driving license for transport vehicles: The individuals who want to drive carrier vehicles such as private service vehicles, trucks, taxis, etc can apply for this driving license. The applicants who are at least 21 years old are eligible to apply for this license.

Eligibility criteria to apply for driving license in Gujarat

  • To obtain a license for a two-wheeler without gear, a person should have completed 16 years of age
  • To obtain a license for a two-wheeler with gear, motor car, tractor, and other non-transport vehicles, a person should have completed 18 years of age
  • To obtain a license for transport vehicles, a person should have completed 20 years of age and he/she should be passed standard 8th pass and must have experience of 1 year driving a light motor vehicle
  • You must have a learning license
  • The applicant should apply for a driving license 30 days after getting a learning license and within 180 days of the date of the issue mentioned on your learner’s licence.
  • Should be aware of all the traffic rules and regulations

Documents required for driving license in Gujarat

Below given are the set of documents that you would require to obtain a driving license in Gujarat-

Age proof (any one of the following)

  • Birth certificate
  • School leaving certificate
  • PAN Card
  • L.I.C. policy
  • Certificate from a civil surgeon
  • Passport

Address Proof (any one of the following)

  • Passport
  • Electricity bill
  • Electoral Voter I-Card
  • L.I.C. policy
  • Telephone Bill
  • House Tax receipt

Additional documents

  • Application form 5 in case of applying for a commercial driving license
  • Original learner’s license
  • Three passport size photographs

The process to apply for a driving license in Gujarat

In the state of Gujarat, you can easily apply for a driving license by following two modes i.e. online and offline. The process for both is explained below in detail.

Online process

  • Visit the state's transport website at https://cot.gujarat.gov.in/driving-licence.htm and download the application form for driving license.
  • Fill the form and submit it at the nearest RTO along with the supporting documents
  • If you do not have a learner’s license, you can book a slot for a learner’s license test. For this, you will have to select the district and the test centre where you wish to take the test.
  • Click on the submit button to get a copy of the application form. Go to the test centre on the prescribed date along with a printout of your application form and other required documents.

Offline process

  • To apply for a driving license via an offline mode in Gujarat, you need to follow the below procedure. Please note, applicants are eligible to apply for a permanent driving license after holding a learner’s license for 30 days.
  • Get an application form no 4 from the nearest RTO. Fill and submit it with relevant documents
  • If you are applying for a commercial driving license, you will also need to submit form 5 i.e. driving certificate issued by a driving school or establishment
  • Also, you would be required to pay a small fee of Rs. 200 to the RTO
  • After that, an RTO official will assign a slot to you to undergo a driving license test. On passing the test, you will receive your driving license via post within 2-3 weeks.

Steps to check driving license application status in Gujarat

To check your driving license application status in Gujarat, you need to follow the below-mentioned procedure.

Checking the driving license status online 

Step 1: Visit the website of the Transport Department of Gujarat- https://cot.gujarat.gov.in/driving-licence.htm

Step 2: Then, you would be asked some details such as driving license number, date of birth, and verification code

 Step 3: After entering the above-mentioned details, press on “Check Status” to know more about the status of your application.

Step 4: You have entered the correct details; the portal will display information about the present status of your driving license application.

Checking the driving license status offline 

  • To apply for a driving license via an offline mode in Gujarat, you need to follow the below procedure. Please note, applicants are eligible to apply for a permanent driving license after holding a learner’s license for 30 days.
  • Get an application form no 4 from the nearest RTO. Fill and submit it with relevant documents
  • If you are applying for a commercial driving license, you will also need to submit form 5 i.e. driving certificate issued by a driving school or establishment
  • Also, you would be required to pay a small fee of Rs. 250 to the RTO i.e. Rs. 200 for a smart card driving license and Rs. 50 per category of vehicle is required
  • After paying the fee, an RTO official will assign a slot to you to undergo a driving license test. On passing the test, you will receive your driving license via post within 2-3 weeks.

How can you make corrections in your driving license online?

If an applicant wishes to make any changes in his/her driving license, then they would need to fill the LLD form along with the details of the original driving license. For this, applicants need to pay Rs. 200 along with the application. If an applicant does not remember the number of his/her original smart card, then you can request for the same in an application with details of your address, name, and date of birth. A fee of Rs. 25 should be paid for the same. If an applicant wishes to change specific things in his/her driving licenses such as name and address, he/she can request for the same in an application along with a fee of Rs. 200 and a NOC (no objection certificate) from the licensing authority.

How to apply for a duplicate driving license in Gujarat?

If your driving license has been stolen or misplaced, you can issue a duplicate driving license by contacting your issuing authority who issued your original driving license first. If your license is lost and is already expired by more than six months, in that case, you need authorization from the Head Quarter of the Transport Department of your state.

Documents required to obtain a duplicate license in Gujarat

  • Application form LLD
  • FIR copy will be required if the DL is stolen
  • Challan clearance report by the traffic police in case of commercial driving license
  • Form 1
  • Copy of Age and address proof documents.
  • Copy of your original driving license
  • License number if the license is stolen
  • The photocopied documents are required to be attested by a gazetted officer or notary public

Driving license renewal in Gujarat

If you are interested in renewing your driving license in Gujarat, the validity period is usually 20 years from the date of issue. However, if the license holder reaches the age of 50 years before the expiry of the 20 years, the license needs to be renewed. You can always renew your driving license either online or offline.

Online process

  • To renew your license online in Gujarat, you need to follow these steps:
  • To get the license renewed, visit the official website of the Gujarat Transport Department.
  • Fill the online application form and attach all the supporting documents
  • Pay the required fees which is Rs. 200
  • After that, the document verification will be done, and then you will be issued the new driving license

Offline process

To renew your license offline, follow these steps-

  • Visit your nearest RTO office and collect the application form for driving license renewal (i.e. application from 9)
  • Fill the details and submit it to the officer-in-charge
  • Produce the original documents for verification and on successful verification, your driving license will be renewed.

Documents required for driving license renewal in Gujarat

  • Duly filled application in Form No. 9
  • Two copies of the applicants’ recent passport size photograph
  • Medical certificate in Form No.1 in case the applicant is above the age of 40
  • Original driving license
  • Address and age proof
  • All the photocopies are to be attested by the Gazetted Officer or the Notary public

The test procedure for obtaining a driving license in Gujarat

While applying for a permanent license in the state of Gujarat, applicants are required to go through a certain test procedure. The driving license test is conducted in the presence of a motor vehicle inspector who has the responsibility to check the applicant's driving skills. To appear for the test, the applicant is required to bring their own vehicle for which you have applied for the license. If the applicant passes the test, then they will receive the driving license within a few days. If the applicant fails the test, then they can reappear for the test after one week.