Starting Wednesday, authorities have begun issuing driving licences to applicants within 24 hours after they clear their trials and pay the required fee.

The 100-point governance reform agenda unveiled by the government has prioritised the licence issue, promising to clear the backlog of driving licences and deliver them to households within 100 days.

Applicants must pay the revenue at the concerned Transport Management Office immediately after passing the trial, after which their details will be recorded in the system for licence printing.

The data will be transmitted from each Transport Management Office to the Department of Transport Management (DoTM). Except on public holidays, data from all 42 offices will be compiled by 5 pm each day and sent to the Security Printing Centre (SPC) by 6 pm.

Keshab Khatiwada, director at the DoTM, said the system was made operational through round-the-clock efforts. “Those who pay the revenue immediately after passing the trial will receive their licence within 24 hours. Revenue can be paid within 18 months of passing the trial,” he said. “If 18 months pass, the process must be restarted.”

Responding to the Post’s query, he said the system had been tested last Wednesday and Thursday. “Since it was successful, it can now be implemented,” he said, adding that the rule also applies to licence renewals.

Previously, the SPC collected data for licence printing in person. “Now, a virtual private network has been developed, and data will be sent through this network,” Khatiwada said. The department said the 24-hour licence issuance process came into effect from Wednesday.

On the first day, data of 2,933 service seekers was sent to the SPC. Data from transport offices in Koshi and Madhesh provinces was not received due to a public holiday, the department said. Khatiwada said coordination is underway with the Department of Postal Services to deliver printed licences to transport offices daily.

Questions remain over whether the SPC, which is currently printing 1.2 million old licences, can meet the 24-hour timeline.

Debraj Dhungana, executive director of the SPC, said, “The department will send us data of those who have passed the trial and paid the revenue by 6 pm each day. We will print the licences overnight and send them to the department within office hours the next day.” He said printing of old licences will continue alongside the new system.

The new arrangement applies to fresh licences. However, 2.9 million licences from earlier dates remain pending.

On October 30, 2025, the DoTM and the SPC signed an agreement to print 1.2 million licences in the first lot by April 25, 2026. Khatiwada said a new agreement is set to be signed to print the remaining 1.7 million licences.

He said 600,000 licences have been printed so far, of which 500,000 have already been sent to the respective offices.

“Of the 800,000 licences handed over, 600,000 have been printed, and the rest are in process,” he said. “Once the SPC completes printing the licences it has received, we will send additional data.”

“There was a budget issue for printing old licences. A budget of Rs 331.789 million, excluding VAT, has been allocated by the Ministry of Finance,” he said. “Now, the backlog will be cleared.”

Licences have remained pending since 2022. Dhungana said the backlog will be cleared by mid-July.

“Currently, 40,000 licences are being printed daily, and 35,000 emergency licences have already been issued,” he said. The printing press is located in Panauti, Kavre.

The Cabinet, led by Balendra Shah, approved a 100-point governance reform agenda on March 27, which includes printing licences within 100 days and delivering them to homes via postal service. It also proposes modernising postal services into a “government courier service.” The department said implementation is underway.

At present, all Transport Management Offices operate under provincial governments, while the DoTM falls under the federal government. As licence printing facilities are not available at the offices or provincial ministries, the department has been coordinating the process.

The only licence printing machine at the department’s office in Minbhawan was destroyed in a fire during the 2025 protests, leaving it without printing capacity.

The department has proposed providing printing machines to Transport Management Offices or provincial ministries. It said the licence problem would gradually be resolved once this is implemented.