Getting a driving licence without paying an agent

Published 1 Sep 2026 · about 4 min read

Outside almost every RTO there is a row of desks offering to “handle everything”. The service they sell is mostly access to a process that is already open to you online.

The official route

1. Apply on the Parivahan Sarathi portal for a learner's licence and pick a slot.
2. Take the learner's test — a short multiple-choice test on signs and rules, usually at a computer in the RTO.
3. Wait the mandatory 30 days, then book the driving test.
4. Take the driving test in your own or a school's vehicle. The permanent licence is posted to you.

What it should cost

Statutory fees are published on the Parivahan portal and run to a few hundred rupees for the learner's licence and a similar amount for the permanent one, plus a test fee. Every payment is made online and produces a receipt. If a number is quoted to you that is not on the portal and comes with no receipt, it is not a fee.

What agents actually sell

Three things: filling the form, knowing which counter is which, and a claim that the test can be arranged. The first two are worth a little; the third is a bribe with a middleman's margin on top, and it is the buyer who carries the risk.

If your file stalls

• Check the application status online first — many “pending” files are waiting on a document you can upload yourself.
• Ask, in writing, for the reason for rejection or delay. A written reason is much harder to invent than a spoken one.
• Escalate to the RTO's public grievance channel or the state transport department portal.
• File a one-page RTI asking who holds the file and why. See our RTI template.

Prepare for the test instead

The most common reason people pay is fear of failing. Failing is free and you can retest. Learn the signs, practise the reverse and the incline, and go in early in the day when the queue is short.

← All articles