Last updated: 6 October 2026
Quick Answer: A driving licence number in India is a single 15-character code, with no spaces or dashes. The parts run in order: a 2-letter state code, a 2-digit RTO code, the 4-digit year of issue, then a 7-digit serial number. It is printed on both sides of your card; Parivahan has no online lookup for a forgotten number.
Almost every online transport service in India starts with your DL number - renewal, an address change, an e-DL download, a duplicate card, a challan check. This guide breaks the code into its four parts.
At a glance: your DL number
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Issued by | Your state transport authority, under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways |
| Length | 15 characters - two letters, then 13 digits |
| Structure | State or UT code (2) + RTO code (2) + year of issue (4) + serial (7) |
| Printed on | Front and reverse of the smart card |
| Checking it online | Sarathi - a driving licence number check takes the number and date of birth |
| If you have lost it | Your Zonal Office or Transport Department, with originals |
What is the driving licence number format in India?
The number is 15 characters long and reads left to right in four blocks: two letters for your state, then 13 digits.
| Part | Characters | Pattern | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| State or UT code | 2 letters | MH | Which state or UT issued it |
| RTO code | 2 digits | 12 | The Regional Transport Office within that state |
| Year of issue | 4 digits | 2014 | The year the licence was first issued |
| Serial number | 7 digits | 0001234 | Your place in that office's register |
| The whole number | 15 | MH1220140001234 | All four blocks, run together |
The letters are the codes Parivahan uses everywhere - MH for Maharashtra, DL for Delhi, KA for Karnataka. The two digits after them are an office code, not a year: Delhi's offices run 01 to 13. The year block is the year of first issue, so a licence held since the 1990s still carries a 1990s year.
Why do some DL numbers look different?
Usually because you are looking at something else. A string with slashes is almost always an application number - TS101/10014/2016/OL on a Telangana slot list.
The other reason is age. Licences issued before the records were computerised may not sit in the national system at all. Parivahan's route for those is backlog manual data entry, which some states allow at the public end; otherwise your Zonal Office creates the record from your originals.
How can you find your driving licence number if you have lost it?
There is no official online search that hands you your own licence number. Asked exactly this - "I don't have my Drivers License number how do I know my Drivers License number?" - the Parivahan FAQ answers that you must contact your Zonal Office or Transport Department while carrying the original documents.
Before making that trip, check where the number may already be sitting:
- Any old copy of the card - a phone photo, a photocopy, or a scan filed with an insurer or employer.
- A digital licence you have saved. If it is already in DigiLocker or mParivahan, the number is on that record.
- Your application papers. Sarathi's "Find Application Number" option, under the Others menu, recovers a lost application number from your name, date of birth and the registered mobile number, confirmed by a one-time password.
- Your RTO. Where more than one office has handled the licence, Parivahan's rule is to approach the one that completed your last transaction.
One caution, and it is Parivahan's own. Its notice on fraudulent websites and apps says licence and eChallan services can only be availed through the official platforms - the parivahan.gov.in portal and the Ministry's Nexgen mParivahan app. Do not use unknown apps.
Where is the DL number printed on your licence?
On both faces of the card. Form 7 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules prescribes the licence design. It puts the licence number in bold on the front, next to the State/UT Code, the issue date and the validity, and repeats it on the reverse beside the QR code. On an older booklet or plain PVC licence it sits on the page carrying your photograph.
Your learner's licence is a separate document with its own number. Sarathi prints it as Form 3 from an application number and date of birth, and the permanent licence application asks for your Learning Licence Number.
How do you check your driving licence details online?
Driving licence applications and services in India are made online on Sarathi, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways portal, state by state. A DL number check needs only two inputs: the number itself and the holder's date of birth. The route Parivahan publishes is:
- Open the Sarathi portal and select the state the service is to be taken from.
- From the Driving Licence menu, choose Services on DL (Renewal/Duplicate/AEDL/IDP/Others).
- Read the instructions page and click Continue.
- Enter your licence number and date of birth, then click Get Drivers License Details.
Sarathi then returns the record and, in its own words, only the services that licence holder is eligible for - renewal, duplicate, change of address, change of name, a DL extract, an International Driving Permit. To track an application already submitted, use Application Status under the Others menu. Parivahan's licence and registration details page also carries a "Know your License Details" option, which now asks you to sign in first.
What can you do with your DL number?
The number unlocks every online service. A brand-new permanent licence is the exception, because that application begins from your learner's licence number.
- Renew your driving licence online - from a year before expiry to a year after.
- Change the address on your driving licence - a service on the existing number.
- Download your e-DL from DigiLocker or mParivahan - the copy you carry instead of the card.
- Apply for a duplicate driving licence - when the card is lost but the licence is valid.
Still at the beginning, with no licence yet? Jaagruk Bharat can prepare a permanent driving licence application from your documents before your RTO appointment. The licence is granted by the licensing authority.
