No more physical driving licences, RCs in Tamil Nadu from September 13

CHENNAI: Driving licences and vehicle registration certificates will go fully digital in Tamil Nadu from September 13, with the government discontinuing printing and postal dispatch of the documents after September 12.

Under the new system, these documents will be available for download on the day the driving test or vehicle registration is completed, according to a government order issued by the Home Department on Thursday.

The GO follows Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's announcement in the Assembly on September 2 Assembly.

The digital documents will carry QR codes linked to the original records in government databases through m-Parivahan and DigiLocker, allowing authorities to verify them in real time and guard against duplicate documents.

The government has said the downloadable DLs and RCs will be available free of cost for the first year from September 13 or until the Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, are amended, whichever is earlier. Subsequently, the applicable fee will be governed by the rules.

The downloaded documents can be printed from the Parivahan portal. Printouts on plain paper or in laminated form will be treated as valid, provided the QR code is clear and can be scanned for verification.

For those wanting a physical copy, printing facilities will be made available at all government e-Seva centres from September 15, subject to the prescribed service charges.

The order also directs government departments, public bodies, and related entities not to insist on the physical DL or RC format issued until September 12. Digital documents or their clear printouts will have to be accepted wherever DLs and RCs are required for filing, verification, approval, authentication, payment or enforcement.

Any seizure, authentication, or recording of penalties relating to DLs and RCs after September 12 will also have to be carried out electronically on the relevant government databases.

The Transport and Road Safety Commissioner has been directed to make necessary changes to the m-Parivahan portal through the National Informatics Centre and ensure a smooth transition to digital issuance.