Thiruvananthapuram: With the state government approving the shift from printed driving licences to digital ones as part of ease of doing business, no enforcement officer shall insist on a physical copy of driving licence within Kerala, according to an order issued by the Transport Department. This means that people no longer need to carry a physical copy of their licence while driving in Kerala.

At present, the driving license and certificate of registration are issued in PVC PETG card form in the state. In September, the Transport Commissioner proposed shifting the present system to electronic form, citing the amendment in the Central Motor Vehicle rule (CMVR).  Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Assam have already adopted the issuance of digital driving licences. 

A digital version stored in DigiLocker or otherwise will be sufficient during inspections by the police or Motor Vehicle Department. People can access and print their digital driving licence anytime by logging into the NIC Sarathy portal.

The government order also outlines the fees for obtaining a digital driving licence. A learner's licence fee is Rs 150, while a driving licence costs Rs 200. The fee for the driving test is Rs  300, and Rs 50 for the learner's test.