{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Central Government Plans Overhaul of Driving License Norms With Distinct Colors for Citizens and Foreigners",
  "summary": "A draft notification proposes separate driving license colors for Indian and foreign nationals, higher test cutoffs, and streamlined digital verification rules.",
  "content": "The central government is outlining a comprehensive restructuring of the driving license framework across the country to improve efficiency, verification, and road safety standards. A draft notification published by the Ministry of Road Transport proposes an array of substantial administrative updates. Among the primary highlights is a plan to introduce distinct colored cards for Indian citizens and foreign nationals. In addition to visual identity changes, the proposal outlines stricter screening metrics for new applicants through enhanced passing criteria in online tests. Because these provisions currently exist as a draft notification, formal public consultations and final regulatory orders will precede their official enforcement.\n\nColor-Coded Cards to Distinguish Nationality\nUnder the proposed framework, driving licenses will prominently indicate the holder's nationality through an easily recognizable visual cue. Authorities plan to implement separate color schemes for licenses distributed to Indian citizens versus those issued to foreign nationals living in the country. This systemic color distinction is expected to streamline roadside checks, routine vehicular verifications, and law enforcement processes. By glancing at the physical card, traffic personnel and administrative authorities will be able to confirm a motorist's citizenship status without reviewing secondary background records.\n\nHigher Benchmark for Safe-Driving Assessments\nTo reduce road accidents and ensure high driver competence, the ministry is raising the difficulty level of the compulsory online safe-driving tutorial assessment. Under existing regulations, learners must secure at least 60% marks to qualify in this evaluation. The draft provisions raise this qualification threshold to 75%. Officials expect that this higher qualifying bar will encourage applicants to thoroughly study road safety rules, traffic signals, right-of-way regulations, and defensive driving techniques prior to operating vehicles on public roads.\n\nCrackdown on Fake Paperwork: Affidavits Out, Verified Records In\nIn a direct bid to curb identity manipulation and document fraud, the draft guidelines restrict the common practice of submitting affidavits attested by notaries or executive magistrates as proof of age or residence. Instead, motorists must produce verifiable primary documents. For residential proof, the approved list features Aadhaar cards, voter ID cards, e-ration cards, as well as electricity or domestic gas utility bills issued within the preceding three months. Legitimate proof of age will require a passport, an official birth certificate, or an academic marksheet issued by an accredited school education board. Identity verification will rely on standard credentials including Aadhaar, passports, and PAN cards.\n\nMandatory Medical Details and Fee Exemptions\nTo assist first responders during medical emergencies, applicant profiles must mandatorily record the driver's blood group, active personal mobile number, and emergency contact information. Alongside this requirement, the ministry has introduced a consumer-friendly waiver for routine paperwork updates. Citizens who carry out modifications to their recorded name, residential address, or contact number using online Aadhaar authentication will be exempt from paying transaction service fees.\n\nUnified Single Application Form and Strict Deadlines\nTo eliminate procedural bottlenecks, the transport department plans to introduce a single, unified application form covering multiple services. Drivers will use this single window for renewal requests, duplicate license requisitions, adding a new vehicle category, or updating personal data. Furthermore, authorities will face mandatory operational turnaround times: online requests for updating personal records must be formally processed within 15 days, and any rejection requires recorded written justification. If an address update request remains unattended by the licensing authority for 30 days, it will be automatically deemed approved.\n\nWhat this means for you\nThe implementation of this draft will significantly streamline driver credentialing while enforcing stricter standards across the board.\n\n• Across India on Testing: Securing a fresh learner's credential will require thorough conceptual preparation. Applicants must score at least 75% instead of the earlier 60% on the tutorial test to pass.\n• Document Compliance: Applicants will no longer be permitted to submit notarized affidavits for address or date of birth. Citizens must provide standard utility bills, school marksheets, or official ID cards instead.\n• Free Digital Updates: Updating records online will now be completely free of charge. Motorists authenticating detail modifications via Aadhaar will save on previously levied administrative fees.\n• Emergency Safety: Compulsory logging of blood group and emergency contact details ensures vital data is readily available. In the event of a road crash, first responders can verify critical medical information instantly.\n• Time-Bound Approvals: Regional transport offices must clear information correction filings within a strict 15-day timeline. Any residential address change pending beyond 30 days will automatically receive deemed approval status.\n\nWhy this happened\nThe draft notification addresses administrative loopholes in the legacy licensing mechanism while upgrading national road safety standards.\n\n• Curbering Document Fraud: Excessive reliance on unverified notary affidavits previously allowed fraudulent applicants to bypass genuine verification checks. Requiring primary government-issued records and Aadhaar authentication directly plugs this integrity gap.\n• Enhancing Driver Competency: Rising traffic collisions underscored the need for motorists to possess sound knowledge of road safety regulations. Increasing the tutorial passing bar to 75% ensures that only well-informed drivers obtain legal authorization.\n• Administrative Streamlining and Identity Checks: Juggling separate paperwork for renewal, category additions, and address corrections caused avoidable bureaucratic delays. Introducing a unified application along with color differentiation simplifies regulatory tracking for both citizens and enforcement teams.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. Will driving licenses for Indians and foreign nationals look different?\nYes, the draft proposes different color schemes to immediately distinguish the citizenship status of the cardholder.\n\n2. What will be the new passing score for the safe-driving assessment?\nThe draft notification proposes raising the minimum passing threshold from 60% to 75%.\n\n3. Will notarized affidavits still be accepted for address proof?\nNo, affidavits will be restricted in favor of official records like Aadhaar, voter ID, or utility bills from the last three months.\n\n4. Will there be a charge for updating license information online?\nUpdates carried out through online Aadhaar authentication will be completely free of government fees.\n\n5. What is the processing deadline for online modification requests?\nAuthorities must decide within 15 days, and unaddressed address change requests will receive deemed approval after 30 days.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/auto/driving-license-ke-niyamo-me-bade-ferbadal-ki-taiyari-videshiyo-aur-bhartiyo-ke-liye-tay-honge-alag-rang-51184",
  "category": "Auto",
  "publishedAt": "2026-10-24",
  "tags": [
    "Driving License",
    "Transport Ministry",
    "Road Safety",
    "RTO Rules",
    "Aadhaar Card",
    "Traffic Regulations"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}