With the COVID-19 pandemic picking up steam again in parts of the country, the government has further extended the validity of driving licenses and other vehicle documents to 30 June 2021. This is the fourth such extension since the pandemic began, the earlier deadlines being 31 July, 30 September, and 31 December of last year. The documents covered under this are those mentioned in the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989. This includes driving licenses, fitness certificates, vehicle registration documents, and permits.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued an advisory to states stating that these documents, which have expired after 1 February 2020, be considered valid up to 30 June 2021.
The ministry has requested states to treat these documents as valid in ‘letter and spirit,’ which will help road users keep using their road-based transport and prevent crowding at RTOs. In fact, the government recently moved a lot of RTOs services online to reduce physical visits to RTOs further.
The government has also said this could be the last extension in validity it provides in the current situation, post which users will need to have their lapsed documents renewed as per the procedure. The previous extension had been up to 31 March 2021, which has been extended by another three months.
