(1) A learners licence issued under this Act shall, subject to the other provisions of this Act, be effective for a period of six months from the date of issue of the licence .[***]
(2) A driving licence issued or renewed under this Act shall,
(a) in the case of a licence to drive a transport vehicle, be effective for a period of [five years]: [*] [Provided that in the case of licence to drive a transport vehicle carrying goods of dangerous or hazardous nature be effective for a period of [three years and renewal thereof shall be subject to such conditions as the Central Government may prescribe; and] ] [(b) in the case of any other licence, subject to such conditions as the Central Government may prescribe, if the person obtaining the licence, either originally or on renewal thereof, -
(i) has not attained the age of thirty years on the date of issue or, renewal thereof, be effective until the date on which such person attains the age of forty years; or
(ii) has attained the age of thirty years but has not attained the age of fifty years on the date of issue or, renewal thereof, be effective for a period of ten years from the date of such issue or renewal; or
(iii) has attained the age of fifty years but has not attained the age of fifty-five years on the date of issue or, renewal thereof, be effective until the date on which such person attains the age of sixty years; or
(iv) has attained the age of fifty-five years on the date of issue or as the case may be, renewal thereof, be effective for a period of five years from the date of such issue or renewal.] [***]
Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 14
Section 14 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 defines the statutory validity periods for learner's licences, transport vehicle licences, and non-transport driving licences across various age bands.
Sub-section (2) governs substantive driving licences, establishing specific validity tiers: licences to drive transport vehicles carrying hazardous goods are restricted to shorter validity periods with mandatory refresher certifications.
Following the 2019 Amendment, transport vehicle driving licences generally remain effective for five years (three years for hazardous goods), while licences to drive non-transport vehicles are valid based on age brackets: twenty years or until the licensee attains the age of forty years, ten years for individuals between forty and fifty years, five years for individuals between fifty and fifty-five years, and for a period of three years or five years beyond fifty-five years as prescribed by the Central Government.
The currency of a driving licence on the exact date and time of an accident is one of the most litigated questions in motor accident law. If an accident occurs during an un-renewed gap period, the vehicle owner faces serious recovery risks. While third-party victims are protected under the pay-and-recover doctrine, own-damage claims by the vehicle owner are routinely repudiated if the licence was legally expired at the time of the crash.