India’s Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has proposed removing fees for selected driving licence changes and treating address requests as approved if officials fail to decide them within 30 days.
The draft amendment to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, gives licensing authorities 15 days to decide requests to change licence particulars; a rejection would require written reasons sent to the applicant. Address applications carry a separate safeguard: if authorities do not approve or reject one within 30 days after filing, it would be treated as approved. That clock concerns the submitted request and does not impose a 30-day reporting deadline on a driver who moves. The draft does not extend deemed approval to other licence changes.
Applicants would file through a portal using new Form 2A, include valid evidence and verify identity by e-signature or another method designated by the Central Government. Drivers can already request an address change online through the National Government Services Portal. The draft would add processing deadlines to that existing service and state how an undecided address application is handled.
Address, mobile number and email updates would have no fee under the proposal. For a name change or another recorded detail, it would replace the listed 200-rupee charge with a no-fee rule. For vehicle registration, the draft also proposes eliminating the charge to record a residence change and extra fees tied to late filing of a No Objection Certificate.
The public can submit objections or suggestions during the 30-day period that begins once copies of the notification become available. The text does not provide an expected publication date. The proposed amendments would take effect only when they are finally published in the Official Gazette.
