Colour Codes For Indians And Foreigners, 75% Pass Marks In Driving Test: How Licence Rules May Change Soon

News india Colour Codes For Indians And Foreigners, 75% Pass Marks In Driving Test: How Licence Rules May Change Soon

Last Updated:October 23, 2026, 12:19 IST

The draft also proposes doing away with life insurance policies as acceptable proof and setting out separate lists of documents for verifying an applicant’s age, address & identity

The Centre has proposed a series of changes to India’s driving licence system, including colour-coded licences for Indian and foreign nationals, mandatory disclosure of nationality and stricter requirements for applicants taking an online safe-driving assessment.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued a draft notification on Wednesday proposing amendments to the Motor Vehicles Rules, the Times of India reported. The proposals also include making blood group, mobile number and emergency contact details mandatory on driving licences, the report said.

Under the proposed system, driving licences would carry the holder’s nationality and use separate colour schemes for Indian citizens and foreign nationals. The draft also seeks to discontinue the use of affidavits sworn before an executive magistrate or notary as proof of age and address, a provision that can be misused to submit false information.

Driving Test Assessment Pass Mark To Rise To 75%

The ministry has proposed raising the qualifying score for the online safe-driving tutorial assessment from the current 60 per cent to 75 per cent. The tutorial would have to last at least 30 minutes, making the assessment more stringent.

The draft also proposes doing away with life insurance policies as acceptable proof and setting out separate lists of documents for verifying an applicant’s age, address and identity.

At present, if an applicant cannot produce any of the 12 specified documents, the licensing authority may accept an affidavit sworn before an executive magistrate, judicial magistrate or notary public as proof of age and address.

Anil Chhikara, an expert in motor vehicle licensing, told The Times of India that affidavits were being phased out after they were allegedly used to register false addresses and dates of birth. Applicants would instead need to provide verifiable documents.

What Documents Could Be Accepted?

The draft lists Aadhaar, Electoral Photo Identity Card, e-ration card, and electricity or gas bills from the preceding three months among the documents that can be used as address proof. Foreign nationals would be required to provide proof of legal presence.

For proof of age, the proposed list includes passports, school board mark sheets, birth certificates and identity cards issued by government departments. Aadhaar, passports, e-ration cards and PAN have been listed as acceptable identity documents.

Online Services, Application Timelines

The proposed changes also seek to make certain driving licence services free of charge when applicants use online Aadhaar authentication. These include changes to address, name and contact number.

Licensing authorities would be required to approve or reject online applications to change licence particulars, including name and address, within 15 days. Rejections would have to be accompanied by reasons. An address-change application that remains undecided for 30 days would be deemed approved.

The draft further proposes a consolidated application form for services such as licence renewal, issuance of duplicate licences, addition of a vehicle class and changes to personal particulars. Relevant applicant details would be retrieved electronically from the Sarathi portal wherever available.

The proposed reforms are aimed at reducing the submission of false documents, tightening licensing assessments and making licence-related services more accessible. The measures are part of a draft notification and should not be treated as rules already in force.

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Apoorva Misra

Apoorva Misra is an Associate Editor at News18.com with a keen interest in politics and current affairs. She loves uncovering fresh angles and telling stories through long-form features and explainers...Read More

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