Saturday, June 28, 2008

How to get driving license in Bangalore ?

Lot of people keep asking me how to go about getting driving license in Bangalore, hence I thought of making a full post of this. So here is the procedure for getting DL in Bangalore without giving BRIBES. And trust me it is not all that difficult. (Though this is relevant to Bangalore, guess should apply to rest of the country as well.)


Step1 -> Filling the Learner License Form,

You have to fill the following form. Along with the form you would need the following.
1. Age Proof (Passport, School Certificate, 10-12th Class certificate)
2. Address Proof (House rent agreement, Ration Card)
3. Three Photographs,

Step2 -> Giving the Learner License Test.

After you have filled the form you will have to go to your nearest RTO office, and give the written test. You can find your nearest office here. Ideally you should go sometime at around 10am.

Do the following,
1. Pay the fees at cash counter (30 rupees)
2. Get your documents verified
3. Give the written test.

Nothing is confusing there, once you go there you will be able to figure out.
Written test is itself very simple, there would be 15 multiple choice questions, and passing marks are 10. I guess anyone who has reasonable head on his shoulders should be able to clear it. But in anycase before you go you should take a look at this.

Once you clear the test you should be able to collect your learning license same day after 4:30

I went at 10am, and was able to finish everything by one. I think I went and collected my license later in the day.
Official website for learner's license is this.


Step3 -> Chill out for 30 days.

Step4 -> Getting the permanent License, filling the form and documents.

Well now you will have to fill the following form.

And whatever vehicle that you are carrying, take the following documents,
1. Vehicle Registration certificate
2. Insurance
3. PUC certificate

Step5 -> The D day, before the test,
1. Reach your nearest RTO office by 11
2. Buy a sticker with a big L, "indicating that you are learner" and put it on your vehicle, put on front and back to be safe. Dont forget this else you will not pass the test. You will easily get this sticker at some shop near RTO for 5-10 rupees.
3. Get your documents verified. There is a queue but it gets over very fast. Take the above mentioned documents you should not have any problem.

Step6 -> Giving the driving test.

1. Once you do above step, you will have to give driving test, there would be inspector down, and you will have to queue along with your vehicle. The traffic inspector will brief you about the rules, like giving indicators, and hand signals. And he will ask you to drive. ( a small circle or something)
Caution: He would not fail you until you drive real bad. But please ensure that you give all the right hand signals, very important, signals for left turn, right turn, for stopping and so on. Especially for the left turn, lot of people tend to ignore it.
Also do note that signal for left turn is not showing left hand, it is showing right hand by rotating the right hand by the wrist. This is the most common mistake that people make :)

Once done he will sign your documents saying PASS/FAIL

Step7 -> If you fail :( : (
Dont worry, sometimes it happens, I also failed the first time. My fame to fail was that I did not give hand signal while taking the right turn. Does not matter come next week to give the test, and you will PASS. But it is very unlikely that people fail, out of 4 of us who had gone for the license, I was the only idiot who failed, and it was fully my mistake :)

Step8 -> Yipeeeeeee :)
You can collect your license on the next day. Relief for twenty years.

Important Notes:
1. Second saturday and forth saturday are holidays for RTO so keep that in mind.
2. Never land up in RTO at 12PM types, because then you would get struck waiting in lunch time, and dont blame RTO employees for having lunch, they need to have lunch as much as we do and they dont have the luxury of having biscuits, coffee at will/ or even AC as we all do in our IT companies.
3. Take a book, it always helps.
4. Patience is the key, Smile works, tone of voice matters a lot. People working there are same as our next door neighbors, nice and good.
5. All the time you would be pestered by people who would claim to give you license if you pay them 1000 bucks, but DONT do that.
6. Carrying a pen, gum, stapler etc helps.

32 comments:

brocasarea said...

hmmm...sounds simple!..

Pradeep said...

Wonderful posting... I am sure this should help a lot of guys... I have linked this post on Dateline Bangalore.
(http://datelinebangalore.blogspot.com)

Pocha said...

Hey Goli,
Nice post. Just to add a few things :-
1. Learner's license details for karnataka - http://rto.kar.nic.in/first.htm

2. Link to sample test question - http://rto.kar.nic.in/QA.HTM

Keep writing :)

Shrinidhi Hande said...

Great. I have been to Jayanaagar RTO several times-for multiple licenses-one for Motorcycle, one for LMV, one for HTV...

Step No.3: You're supposed to learn driving :)

Also, basic knowledge of road signs is required-give a link to that.

Best wishes.

Goli said...

@brocasarea: Yups it is simple

@pradeep: Thanks, I really hope it helps.

@pocha: Thanks for pointing that link to me. Actually I was searching for that questions but I did not find them. I am going to edit the post to add them, I think that would really help.

@shrinidhi: I guess I missed the most important step.. :)

Shrinidhi Hande said...

Just wondering why one should still show hand signals when we have indicators for that purpose...

Also readers of this post may like my post on surviving traffic police in India

http://www.enidhi.net/2007/07/surviving-traffic-police-in-india.html

Your NGO post forum is great.

ranjana said...

nice post
good to know that somewhere in this country one can still get license without bribing :)

Goli said...

@srinidhi: Your post was great, thanks for sharing.

@ranjana, it is funny but at lot of places it still does work.

Shantanu said...

Hey,
In Maharashtra - they also show you a movie on Traffic Safety w/o watching which one can't appear for the DL Learners' Test.

avinashsonee said...

Great artcile !!
and hey check out the url of " to all girls .. " in the highly recommended list. http// is type twice.

Goli said...

@shantanu: WoW that is great..
@avinash: Thanks a lot for pointing out, i have corrected that link as well.

The Layman said...

appreciate your effort...:-)
It should be an example to most of us who prefer short cuts.

sheetal said...

Thanks a lot.
Where exactly do I learn how to give hand signals? Was bummed when I read the left turn signal isnt given with the left hand. How do you give the right turn signal?

Getting my LL this weekend. :)

Goli said...

@layman Thanks.
@sheetal Right turn signal is given with right hand only. Actually in Bangalore, before giving the driving test, the traffic inspector would brief you about the hand signals. :)

Smruti Nayak said...

hey goli,

Nice article. Thanks

Maharishi said...

Hey that was a wonderful post. u just made life simple.

Thanks a tonne

Maharishi

Anonymous said...

This is a wonderfull page, one have all the information at one place. Simple things can complicate with out information. Thanks a lot this is great info page.

varun said...

This help a lot. thanks.
But i had bad experience when i was asked to produce Address proof on company's letter head. Though i had been to RTO with Rent Agreement and Passport.
These guys sucks.

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Vivek said...

GR8 Post yaar

Soumya said...

Very helpful indeed, all details nicely captured. I'd failed my 2 wheeler DL test the first time coz of the missing sticker. Now have to apply for my 4 wheeler. Also i wanted to apply for a 2 wheeler geared vehicle DL, but having doubts if they'd make things tough for me (considering the lesser number of lady bikers). Any thoughts on this?

Goli said...

@Maharishi Thanks a lot.

@ Vivek thanks

@ Soumya I also failed first time, but they dont care about all that. Dont worry you would pass.

Chandra said...

It would be helpful, if you keep the originals of your ID proof and Address proof. Sometimes, they ask for that.

Anonymous said...

Also, it would be better, if the xerox copies are attested.

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Akki said...

Hey i knew all that, But u have presented things how exactly it happens there.. it will really ppl who are less knowledge abt that that.. thanks

Antony Edwin said...

Dude...

Bangalore RTO not accepting my documents as i am from tamil nadu.
i dont have any loal address proof (except my rental agreement and credit card statement.

i have given passport / pancard.. they are not ready to accept my docments.

plese suggest how to get DL ?

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AmIndian said...

Very Useful Post!!!!

I want to share something with u all,I had been to RTO,KR Puram today 6/11/09 to obtain a DL for a 2 wheeler.
I had carried alongwith me 3 photographs and a VALID LL as stated in website http://rto.kar.nic.in/ .None of the other documents were applicable to me.
I filled the form,paid the fees,finished the photo session n other Bio-metrics data entry procedure and when went to get the signature of the RTO officer(excited I was as I was 1 step away from the Driving test),he rejected my application saying I need to produce a document for Citizenship proof.My plea by showing the Original Ration card and PAN card were in vain.I was and I am really disappointed.To add to my woes,I met an agent on way,he asked me to pay 600 Rs. and he will take of rest.That was really .....cant express in words,hmmm.

Shouldn't RTO update the website with all details OR was it negligence on my part not to go through the form and the details???

MightySanDespers said...

As one of our friend said in the the above thread,
even i stepped into RTo with my valid LL ,photos and fees recipt(250 bucks)
but the same guy rejected me for not producing citizen ship proof(school cert).

But after a 15 min of vig req he considered my form.."they can make the rules ,break the rules"

guys ,,,if u r going directly (not by any agency),please make sure that u carry all the documents in all the times....
5-10 photos
permnt add proof
or
rental agreement + elec bill for non locals
pan card
ration card
passport(optional)
ssc certificate
hr letter (mandatory if u are a non-bangalorean)
valid bike docs

hope this post helps u all

regards
sandeep

Anonymous said...

Very Informative .nice article.. thanks for positive way of approach u tried to follow. I am going for my DL tomorrow. wishing myself all the best...

Anonymous said...

This is really a nice post. But not all the things said here is what actually happens in RTO. I do not know kannada language and it bacame a huge problem for me. They gave me a form in Kannada and I dont know what to do with it.