Many of us dream of riding our own bike or car on the roads and heading out on a road trip with friends. If you are about to apply for a driving license, perhaps, you were not aware that there are many different types of licenses in India. It helps to know these different types so that you can apply for the right one. In this blog, we will look at the license types in India to help you make the right choice for yourself.

Here are the various types of driving license available in India:

• Learner’s license

  To start off, you need to get a learner’s license. This license is issued by the RTO, and you can get it from any driving training school. This learner’s driving license is valid for a period of 6 months. During this time, you can drive a car but you would need to be accompanied by someone who has a permanent driving license.

• Permanent driving license

  After you learn to drive with the learner’s license, you can go ahead and apply for your permanent driving license. This permanent license is valid for a period of several years. You get issued a permanent driving license based on the class of vehicle you have learnt to operate. For example, you may have a two wheeler permanent license or a four wheeler license.

• Commercial permanent driving licence

  A commercial permanent driving license is similar to a permanent driving license except that it gives you the right to operate commercial vehicles that transport goods and passengers. To be able to qualify for a commercial driving license, you need to have completed at least 8th standard in school. You will also need to undergo a special training program that teaches you to operate heavy vehicles as these are definitely more challenging to drive than the average car.

• International driving license

  An international driving license lets you drive a car in any country of the world. You can use this license to rent a car and drive it wherever you go. To get an international driving license, you first need to get a regular permanent driving license.

Having a driving license also has many more benefits for you. You can use it as an identity proof when required. Do keep in mind that driving without a valid driving license can get you into serious trouble. You may get fined or even face a penalty that can include imprisonment.

We hope that this blog has helped you understand the types of driving licence in India. Now, remember that you also need to apply for regular renewal of your motor insurance policy for your vehicle too. This is applicable whether you have a bike, car, or even a commercial passenger or heavy goods vehicle. Make sure to get your coverage from a reputed insurer. While third–party coverage is mandatory, you can consider upgrading to a comprehensive motor insurance plan for better coverage and more useful features.