Issue of Driving License to persons holding valid driving license issued from foreign countries - Kerala RTO

No C1-1151/TC/99                                                                    Head Office, Motor Vehicles Department

                                                                                                     \ Thiruvananthapuram dated 08-08-2000

                                                                                                        

CIRCULAR NO.11/2000

Sub: Motor Vehicles Act and Rules – Issue of Driving License to persons holding valid driving license issued from foreign countries-Instruction Issued.

Ref:  circular No 3/2000

As per the Circular referred above, instructions had been given regarding the procedure for issue of Driving License to those persons who are in possession of valid Driving License of foreign countries. In the above mentioned circular, it was clarified that persons in possession of valid driving license of other countries will be exempted from learner’s license and test of competence to drive, while applying for Driving License. But as per clause III of sub-section 9, persons in possession of valid Driving License issued by a competent authority of any foreign country will be exempted from the test of competence to drive while applying for Driving License. But there is no provision in the Act or Rules for exempting a person from obtaining a learner’s license while applying for a Driving License. Moreover according to Rule 14 of the C.M.V. Rules, an application for a Driving license shall be accompanied by an effective learner’s license. This invariably means that such persons should undergo and pass the learner’s test as prescribed in sub –section (5) of section 8 of Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

            It is therefore clarified that any applicant who holds a valid driving license issued by a competent authority of any country outside India and who is desirous of applying for a Driving License in India under section 9(3) (III) has necessarily to obtain a learner’s license as per section 8 of Motor Vehicles Act read with rule 14 of Central Rules.

Circular No 3/2000 is hereby cancelled.

Receipt of the circular will be acknowledged.

                                                                                                                                  Sd/-

                                                                                                                  Transport Commissioner