New Driving Licence Rules Proposed: Free Address Change, 75% Pass Mark

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has proposed a sweeping rewrite of driving licence (DL) rules that could make several services free and fully digital, while raising the bar for new drivers.

What the draft proposes

• Free address and mobile number updates — currently a paid, manual process.
• Auto-approval in 30 days if an Aadhaar-linked application isn’t acted on.
• 75% pass mark for the safe-driving tutorial, up from 60%.
• Separate card formats for Indian citizens and foreign nationals.
• Colour coding and QR codes to make licences easier to verify.

Why it matters

The proposals amend the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 and lean heavily on Aadhaar authentication to cut paperwork and eliminate visits to the RTO. For most vehicle owners, the headline change is the free, auto-approved address update — a recurring pain point whenever people relocate.

The higher 75% qualifying score for the learner’s licence tutorial is meant to ensure new drivers genuinely complete the safety course before getting behind the wheel.

The rules are in draft form and open for public feedback before final notification.