Soon At RTOs: A Standard Format And Design For DL And RC Smart Cards

The Union road transport ministry has notified a common standard format and design for driving licences (DL) and registration certificates (RC) that will be commonly applied throughout the country. The order was issued on 1 March 2019.

The government has also removed the option of providing a paper or booklet-based licence or RC. “Now, such certificates can only be provided in two types of cards viz. a PVC-based card or a Polycarbonate one. Detailed specifications have been prescribed for these cards in the notification,” said a government release.

The ministry said the newly enhanced specifications are of high standard and would ensure long-lasting quality cards.

The Centre has also provided the states with the option of choosing material for the cards. The states can also decide between providing a chip-based smart card or contactless features (NFC) card for the driving licence. However, these cards will have to carry a QR code which would enable easy linking and access and validation of the information with the SARATHI and VAHAN databases.

While VAHAN is a national database for vehicle registration, SARATHI is a pan-India database for driving licences.