Out of 2.9 million driving licences pending printing, 1.2 million smart licences have already been printed, according to the Security Printing Centre.

The printing work is being carried out under an agreement signed between the Department of Transport Management and the Security Printing Centre on October 29, under which the first batch of 1.2 million licences has been completed.

A second agreement was signed on April 17 for printing an additional 1.7 million licences, with the centre now preparing to complete the remaining backlog.

The centre said it is currently mobilising resources to scale up production. It is printing around 40,000 licences daily and expects to clear the entire backlog by mid-July.

Devaraj Dhungana, executive director at the Security Printing Centre, said printing continues even on public holidays, and the institution is confident of meeting the deadline.

“We start printing immediately if the department sends data for around 200,000 licences at once,” Dhungana said.

He said the second batch of licences will also be completed before mid-July. On average, around 4,000 new licence records are received daily from 42 transport management offices across the country.

The Department of Transport Management sends data from all offices after candidates pass trials and pay fees, typically by 6pm each day except on public holidays.

“We complete printing within 24 hours of receiving new data and then send the licences back to the department,” Dhungana said.

The new smart licences now include enhanced security features. Earlier versions had 18 features, while the new format includes 39, incorporating QR codes, readable zones, and multiple security layers that can be verified by the naked eye, specialised equipment, or laboratory testing, according to the centre.

Each licence now carries two QR codes on the front and back. The front QR is used by the centre, while the back QR can be scanned by users and traffic police. Earlier licences contained a chip.

Printed licences are being distributed to respective transport offices through the Department of Postal Services.

Transport Management Department director Keshav Khatiwada said data for the second batch is being prepared for submission.

“We had an agreement for printing 1.2 million licences in the first phase. Since the number from Ekantakuna is high, sending all its data at once could delay processing for other offices,” he said.

The Transport Management Office at Ekantakuna alone has around 900,000 pending licences to be printed, the department said.

Khatiwada said citizens can now check their driving licence status through the Nagarik App, including whether their new or renewed licence has been printed.

Preparations are also underway to introduce online payment for licence renewal fees, he said.

“With this, citizens will no longer have to stand in queues,” Khatiwada said. “The system will gradually move towards online payments, which will ease these difficulties.”

The Security Printing Centre said that from July 17, service recipients will no longer need to carry physical receipts for new or renewed licences.

Until now, applicants have been required to carry fee payment receipts since 2022.

A Cabinet meeting held on March 27 approved a roadmap that includes 100 reform actions, one of which mandates printing licences within 100 days and delivering them to homes through the postal service. The plan also envisions modernising postal services into a government courier service.