Will your next driving licence look different depending on your nationality? The Centre has proposed separate card designs for Indian and foreign drivers, along with mandatory blood-group and emergency-contact fields.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued draft notification G.S.R. 902(E) on 16 October 2026. It appeared in the Gazette of India on 21 October. The proposal also covers address corrections and the safe-driving tutorial. Nothing has become compulsory under this draft yet.
Key Highlights
- Proposed cards would use different background colours for Indian and foreign nationals.
- Nationality, blood group, mobile number and emergency contacts feature in the revised format.
- A 75% passing mark is proposed for the safe-driving tutorial assessment, up from 60%.
- Some online licence updates could become free if the amendment is finalised.
How Would Colour-Coded Driving Licences Look?
The distinction is visible in Form 7 of the proposed Central Motor Vehicles Rules amendments. The ministry has specified one colour palette for Indian nationals and another for foreign nationals, rather than leaving every licensing office to decide the layout.
The design tables identify saffron-yellow (#F2A81D), pale cream and soft green among the background shades for Indian licences. Foreign-national cards use colours including light blue (#9DD9F4), aqua and yellow-green. These are multiple colour elements in the design, not simply an orange card for Indians and a blue card for foreigners.
The photograph, vehicle category, and validity dates remain. Nationality gets its own printed field.
The draft also calls for laminated or PVC cards in a standard format. Foreign applicants would need proof of legal presence in India as well as proof of residence. The colours do not change driving permissions.
Which Personal and Medical Details Would Be Added?
A licence is often one of the first documents found after a road accident. An emergency number may help reach a relative.
The proposed form contains several notable additions:
- Blood group and Rh factor: Blood-group information would be mandatory in the application, rather than optional.
- Emergency contact: The application asks for a contact name and makes the emergency mobile number mandatory.
- Organ donation: Applicants would have a yes-or-no field; the draft does not make donation consent compulsory.
The proposed card layout also includes the holder’s mobile number and emergency contact number. Meanwhile, its QR-code-readable data fields would extend to reported allergies, medical conditions, medications and implants.
Some information appears on the card; other records are machine-readable. Drivers should also avoid treating a printed blood group as a substitute for hospital blood testing.
The changes appear in the draft amendment published in the Gazette.
What Else Could Change for Licence Applicants?
For someone moving cities, fewer charges and a deadline for address corrections might prove more useful.
Among the proposed administrative changes:
- Free updates: No fee for correcting a name or address, or updating a mobile number or email address. The draft also proposes waiving fees for services using online Aadhaar authentication.
- 15-day decision: Licensing authorities would have 15 days to approve or reject an application to change licence particulars, with reasons for rejection.
- 30-day address provision: An address-change request would be deemed approved if the authority neither accepts nor rejects it within 30 days.
For address proof, an electricity bill or household gas bill less than three months old would be acceptable. The existing fallback involving certain affidavits is absent from the proposed replacement list.
Driving-licence applicants would also face a revised safe-driving tutorial rule: at least 30 minutes of instruction, and a 75% pass requirement instead of 60%. This relates to the tutorial assessment, not a blanket announcement that every practical driving test now needs 75%.
When Could the New DL Rules Take Effect?
There is no confirmed implementation date. The notification provides 30 days after Gazette publication for objections and suggestions. The government must consider feedback and issue final rules.
A renewal appointment next week, therefore, does not automatically mean receiving the proposed new-format card. Existing procedures remain the reference point until the rules are formally brought into force.
For current applications and mobile-number updates, drivers can use the official Sarathi Parivahan portal. For the draft’s status, consult the eGazette website using Gazette ID CG-DL-E-21102026-277305.
FAQs
Are colour-coded driving licences compulsory in India now?
No. These designs appear in a draft notification published on 21 October 2026. A final government notification is required before the changes become enforceable.
Will blood group be mandatory on the new driving licence?
The proposed application requires blood group information, and Form 7 lists it on the licence. That requirement applies only if the draft is finalised.
Will foreigners receive a different colour driving licence?
Yes, that is the proposal. Separate Form 7 designs identify foreign nationals through a distinct colour palette and a nationality field on the card.
Will changing an address on a driving licence be free?
The draft proposes removing the fee for address changes. It also provides deemed approval after 30 days without a decision, once the rules take effect.
Where can drivers check the final driving licence rules?
Look for the final notification on the Government of India’s eGazette website. The Sarathi portal provides state-specific services, but the current draft is not final.
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