Renewing a driving licence after it has expired
An Indian driving licence does not expire silently. Section 14 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 — as amended by the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 — fixes the currency of a non-transport licence at twenty years from the date of issue or up to the age of forty, whichever is earlier; a transport-vehicle licence runs for three years and a holder above sixty for renewals of one year only. Section 15 of the MV Act governs the renewal — a renewal applied for within thirty days of expiry is treated as in time and the licence runs continuously; a renewal applied for after thirty days but within five years of expiry attracts a late fee and may, at the licensing authority's discretion, require a fresh test; a renewal sought more than five years after expiry requires a fresh learner's licence and a fresh driving test. The Supreme Court in National Insurance Co Ltd v Swaran Singh , (2004) 3 SCC 297 read the consequence of an expired licence as a question of degree — a renewable licence whose renewal has only recently lapsed is a technical breach that does not relieve the insurer of liability, whereas an unrenewed licence on which the holder has continued to drive for years is a fundamental breach. Mukund Dewangan v Oriental Insurance Co Ltd , (2017) 14 SCC 663 sits over the LMV/transport classification overlay. This guide maps the renewal procedure.