Learner's Licence to Driving Licence: rules, timeline and the pocket card

How long the LL lasts

An LL is valid for six months from the date of issue. Within that window you can practise on public roads for the vehicle classes on the LL, provided a person holding a valid permanent licence for that class is seated next to you and the vehicle carries 'L' plates front and rear.

When you can apply for the permanent licence

• At least 30 days must pass from the date the LL was issued before you can take the driving test.
• The test must be taken while the LL is still valid — before the six months run out.
• If the LL lapses before you pass, you apply again for a fresh LL; there is no automatic extension.

The 30-day wait is a minimum, not a target. Book the slot early — test dates in busy RTOs can be weeks out.

What the LL record contains

The Learner's Licence services page shows your name, parent/guardian name, address, mobile number, blood group, the LL number, the date of issue and validity, and the class of vehicles applied for (for example LMV, MCWG, CRANE). It also carries your photo and signature.

Keeping a copy of the LL

There is no plastic LL card — the RTO issues a printout. If you want a wallet-size copy for your own records while you practise, our card maker lays the same details out as an 'INDIAN LEARNING LICENCE — Pocket Card' with the standard rule-3 warning on the back. It is a personal reference copy only and has no legal validity; the RTO printout or the digital LL is what counts.

After you pass

The permanent licence is issued for 20 years or until age 40, whichever is earlier, then renewed. Transport (commercial) classes renew every three or five years. The permanent DL number is new — it is not the LL number.