Highlights

• Nepal Department of Transport Management says all previously pending driving licence cards have now been printed.
• 2,747,253 licence cards had been dispatched to the respective transport offices by 7 Shrawan through the postal system.
• Licences with less than one year of validity remaining have not been printed.
• Drivers whose licences are approaching expiry are requested to visit the nearest transport office for renewal.
• The department has upgraded its system to support National Identity Card verification and online revenue payment.
• Fast track printing remains available for people travelling abroad for employment.

Nepal finally clears its long running driving licence printing backlog

After years of frustration for motorists, the Department of Transport Management has announced that every previously pending driving licence card covered under its printing agreement has now been produced. That matters.

The announcement marks one of the biggest administrative milestones for Nepal's transport system in recent years. For many applicants, delayed licence printing had become almost routine, creating uncertainty even after successfully completing every required process.

The department said all licence cards that remained pending until the end of Asar have now been printed. By 7 Shrawan, a total of 2,747,253 cards had already been dispatched through the postal system to their respective transport offices for distribution.

Milestone	Status
Pending licence printing	Completed
Cards dispatched	2,747,253
Distribution method	Postal delivery to transport offices

Drivers with licences nearing expiry must renew instead

Not every licence has been printed immediately. The department clarified that cards with less than one year remaining before expiry were intentionally excluded from printing.

Here's the thing. Printing those cards would provide little practical benefit because drivers who renew their licences receive a fresh licence with a new 10 year validity period.

Instead, motorists are being asked to visit the transport office most convenient to them and complete the renewal process before requesting a new card.

• Visit any convenient transport office.
• Complete the renewal process.
• Receive a newly issued licence valid for 10 years.

For many drivers, this approach should reduce unnecessary duplicate printing while helping offices process renewals more efficiently.

Digital improvements aim to simplify licence services

The announcement was not limited to printing progress. The department also confirmed several system upgrades designed to streamline everyday licence services.

Applicants can now benefit from:

• National Identity Card data verification within the licensing system.
• Online revenue payment support.
• Faster correction of information errors on licence records.
• Immediate handling of printing and distribution related work by the respective transport offices.

Not everyone will notice these changes immediately. Behind the scenes, however, they remove several manual steps that previously slowed processing.

Fast track service continues for overseas employment applicants

The department has also reiterated that people travelling abroad for foreign employment can continue using its fast track printing and card distribution service.

Eligible applicants have been requested to contact their respective transport offices directly to access the expedited process.

This remains particularly important because many overseas employment opportunities require applicants to present a valid physical driving licence within strict deadlines.

Four years of delays appear to be ending

The licence printing backlog did not develop overnight. According to the department, delays over the past four years were caused by multiple challenges, including printing machines, manpower management, software limitations and resource constraints.

Those issues left hundreds of thousands of motorists waiting significantly longer than expected for their physical licences.

A key step came after an agreement signed on 12 Kartik between the Department of Transport Management and the Security Printing Centre. Under that arrangement, the Security Printing Centre became responsible for printing licence cards, while the department continued handling distribution.

Issue	Department Response
Printing backlog	Completed under current agreement
Near expiry licences	Renewal required before printing
System improvements	National ID integration and online payment support
Foreign employment applicants	Fast track printing available through transport offices

While distribution to every applicant will still take time as transport offices process deliveries, clearing the production backlog represents meaningful progress for Nepal's licensing system. Drivers whose cards are approaching expiry should not wait for automatic printing. Renewing first will ensure they receive a newly issued licence with a fresh validity period, avoiding unnecessary delays once their existing licence reaches its expiration date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Have all pending driving licences been printed?
A: Yes. The Department of Transport Management says all licence cards covered under the pending printing programme have been completed and dispatched to transport offices.

Q: Why was my licence not printed?
A: If your licence has less than one year of validity remaining, it was intentionally excluded from printing. You should renew it first.

Q: How many licence cards have been dispatched?
A: According to the department, 2,747,253 licence cards had been sent to the respective transport offices by 7 Shrawan.

Q: Can I pay licence fees online?
A: Yes. The department says its upgraded system now supports online revenue payment along with National Identity Card verification.

Q: Is there a fast track service for people going abroad?
A: Yes. Applicants travelling overseas for employment can contact their respective transport office to access fast track licence printing and card distribution services.