Sabiha Essa Khan
If the thought of getting your driving license renewed at expiry sends chills down your spine, read on. This is a recent real-life account on how to get through the process in 90 minutes (or less). This personal experience is of North Nazimabad license office and concludes with some after thoughts on how the process can be improved.
Steps in brief
Documents required:
- CNIC original (for entrance)
- CNIC copy
- Original driving license
- 2 photographs in blue background.
Driving License Fee structure (with approximate amounts)
- Parking fee – optional – Rs. 20/-
- Instant photo fee – optional – Rs. 100/-
- Medical form fee – Rs. 100/-
- License renewal fee – Rs. 1160/-
- License lamination fee – Rs. 250/-
- Total: PKR 1,630/-
- Tip: Keep change, it will come in handy!
Counters and Their Expected Times
No trip to the driving license office is complete without its fair share of queues. We take a look at the queues you will have to visit, and the estimated time you may end up spending there.
- Information counter and filling up of application form – 15 min
- Application form photo booth (optional) – 20 min (Rs. 100/-)
- Medical fee submission counter – 5 min Rs. 100/-
- Data entry counter – 15 min
- Medical assessment counter – 15 min
- Stamp counter for renewal fee submission – 5 min (Rs. 1160/-)
- Lamination counter to receive photo slip – 5 min (Rs. 250/-)
- Driving license photo booth – 5 min
- Lamination counter to receive the license – 5 min
Total time: 90 mins
Steps in Detail
The best time to get the license renewed is early in the morning on a weekday.
At the entrance, there’s charged parking (Rs. 20/-) and at the main gate, original CNIC is expected to be checked so keep it with you.
Once in, the three-manned information counter greets you. Expect a queue here which gets quickly dissolved if all three windows are operational simultaneously, as the traffic police staff is quite quick in providing the information.
For renewal, you will be guided to get two forms from the forms-counter, one is the application form, and second is the medical form.
Application form can be filled there and then along with required documents mentioned above. Attach two photographs can be tricky since this needs to be in blue background. In case you don’t have it, you can get this done through an on-site photo booth equipped with a digital camera and printer. The booth operates in load-shedding as well through a generator.
Now proceed to the medical fee submission counter which is the first fee submission counter (and not certainly the last!) which stamps the form as fee-paid.
As the application form is filled, documents are attached and medical fee is paid, get the application pack reviewed at the information counter to ensure there are no discrepancies. All these steps are completed in the outdoors. Rest of the steps are performed inside the building premises.
The next step is to proceed to Data Entry counter and submit your the form at the desk officer. The form is is stacked in a first-in first-out pile. So your form gets the last position in the existing workload pile. At your turn, your name is called so be seated or stand nearby. The data entry staff will confirm the details through CNIC, which includes name, address and phone numbers, and will have you double check it on computer.
You will now be handed your application and medical form over as you proceed to queue up outside the medical assessment room where applicants are called in one by one. A reading test is administered for both the eyes seperately. Then there’s a separate stamp counter where form is checked and renewal fee has to be submitted. The form is then required to be presented at the lamination counter (with lamination fee) which issues an entry-chit required to proceed the license photo-booth. This is mandatory step and not to be confused with the initial blue-background photos which is required for application form. Once this photo is clicked, proceed back to the lamination counter. The lamination counter maintains a register entering the applicants’ names and calls them out as batches of licenses are printed and received from the adjacent data center room. So again, be around as your name is called and you receive your renewed license.
The entire process completes in 90 minutes or less.
Tips
- Get up early and be there at 9:00 AM or before.
- Keep enough change, Rs. 100/- notes are a must.
- Go in pair, in case you have forgotten something or need something like change, you can count 4. on a friend’s help.
- Keep a pen with you for filling up the application form.
- Dress properly and appear tidy – the way you want to look for next few years on your license plastic!
What is good?
- Traffic police officers are present on ground and manges the queue and floor.
- The staff at each desk guides the applicants for next step.
- Staff is quick in processing their assigned tasks.
What can be improved?
Reduce the number of counters (hand-offs) and eliminate redundant steps like photographs on application form
- Consolidate the fee into 1 amount
- Train the staff to be friendly (extremely important)
- Use queue management ticketing system
- Provide alternative authentication – e.g. use of biometric authentication in absence of CNIC
- Improve the ambience
You’ve Nailed it! :)
Really impressive guide… :)
One question, You can now make CNIC for under 18.
So they also can make Driving License for under 18?
No
Thanks.
how to get new one ?
First apply for learner’s, learn the basics, theory / text-book test and driving test for the final one. All the best!
It wasn’t as easy as defined.
all you’ve done is called “khuwari”. great job (Y) :)
Thanks.
Hi, so which step you exactly got stuck at?
It is called passing fee. If I pay that fee, one of them help me out in all process and call me protocol at all steps.
License lamination fee – Rs. 250/-
:)
Petition to lower this?
Can we make new in this way from Learning Licence ?
No. New one will require a driving test.
When i went for renewal of my driving license i wondered to heard that license lamintaion fee is 250, the price of simple color logo reflected lamination is i thinks so in between 50Rs or 100Rs
Petition for lowering the fee?
Make the renewal process online like HEC degree attestation.
Someone has commented that this is what happens in Islamabad. Let’s try to approach high-ups here in Karachi for the same.
To sum up the above article.,
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/febb67ba5d42d8a5812ee73c1f3a2c5708aeacf95afd68b4a9edc1986f0dc9c7.jpg
:)
it took me 50+ minutes in eye test which you called medical, and more than 1 hour to pay the licence fee. it took about 4-5 hours to complete on clifton branch.
:( Can we get some more info from people who visited Clifton office?
I just visited Clifton branch on Friday last. You will be happy to know that now process of getting permanent license is extremely streamlined, and no bribes etc . The only disturbing thing was 100 Rs. fees for just touching the motorbike (which they called is private) at the time of driving test,even though I took my own car with me for test. An important advice, “The best timing to go there is on FRIDAYS after 14:30 ” All of them are very tired and they just pass everyone, my thoughts and experience :)
how much was the license fee ?
I was there last year (Nazimaabad )and the person recheck your eyesight was corrupt and he failed me twicce , they have a very dirty glass apparatus which you cannot read if you light up a 100 watt bulb and asked me to go to the police hospital. the doctors there cleared me in 5 min, he did ask why didn’t you get passed at the center. my reply was that i didn’t grease palms.
@disqus_TIXc273cmT:disqus , can you please advise me what to do at the Nazimabad office (you are talking about the one near Petrol Pump area , right ?)
my Learner’s license is around 5 months expired and i intend to visit there very soon for renewal/procurement of PERMANENT license ….
That happened with me too, although I have an Aus license.. I had to go to Jinnah and get the eye test certificate. I gave them an earful when I came back. But lost precious time
I have lost my license,not expired.For new generate ,what are the requirements?
Driving license office should have a FB page, Twitter account and a web-page for the requirements! In your case, it may require a Roznamcha original in addition to other mandatory requirements.
I renewed my driving license from Islamabad. After I was called at first counter, it took maximum 15 minutes to get my new driving license. Pertinent to mention that driving license of Islamabad is of excellent quality. Like CNIC with many other unique identifications.
And I had to take along only old license and CNIC. No ID Card copy, no photo, no lamination or firm filling. Every thing was online. Like NADRA.
Great. It has to be like this in Karachi too.
Great. Let’s get this replicated in Karachi too.
please PLEASE make a guide on what to do after your learner’s license has EXPIRED !
:) Probably, apply for a new.
@sabihaessakhan:disqus , ok … say if its been expired for some time , around 5-6 months , so can i apply for the PROPER (5-year) license or do i have to apply for ANOTHER learner’s license ??
No. Go with your expired license, they will charge extra 100 Rs. for renewing it.
thanks for the info ..
just to clarify ;
sooo… i basically its like this
1. take my EXPIRED learner license (its about 5 months expired now)
2. pay them Rs.100
3. i have to take the eyesight and driving test (parallel parking)
4. they Grant me the permanent license (the one with 5-year validity)
5. Profit
this is it?
You go with your Expired license, NO issues in it. You will be charged extra 100Rs. and you can get your permanent license.
The whole process resembles 1800s era when stamps and lengthy paper work was involved.
For a population of 200 Million plus any procedure involving human input just adds misery, time wastage etc.
Boring and sad. Pakistan is NOT learning to leap frog and adapt the latest, rather, it’s chasing the long tail of advancement whose head is in 21st century but tail in early 1900s.
Agreed. Islamabad appears to be the role model here. Should be replicated here in Karachi.
When I renewed in Lahore it was very simple. I went to Police place in Liberty one Friday morning, there was no line. I had my CNIC and copy and licence. I do not remember fees but it was higher than normal because I was renewing one month after expiry. Maybe Rs 600. They told me to get eyes checked. Next day (Saturday) I went to my neighbourhood clinic, doctor filled out the form (for free), and on Monday or Tuesday I came back to Liberty and gave the form. About one week later I got the card in email (TCS) with courier fees was Rs 100.
This was 2014. It took two trips because there was no nearby place for eyes checking in the morning, and my clinic is closed on Fridays. But both times, I was at the location for just 10-15 minutes.
Now my wife’s licence is expired, I will see how long it takes to get her renewed.
Great. It appears that things are improving. Can anyone here get attention of traffic police dept. to adopt some of the best practices of Isb?
same procedure for Islamabad?
One of our comments tells us that its lot easier and quicker!
I live in KSA and I want to get my Karachi (Sindh) Driving License renewed. Is there an online site such as the new DGI&P Online Passport renewal service?
It would be best if this can be done online, rather than to travel to Pakistan to get it done.
did you ever get an answer to this?
renewal of learning license is not allowed now after it is expired. i tried but they said you should make permanent now.
I am driving in KSA for about 42 years and having my driving license but my original of Pakistan has been lost since many years can i have a Pakistani license now without the learners if can present this Saudi license kindly guide
My first licence was issued from Gujrat as I used to live there for brief period. it is verifiable online but expired last month.
I am permanent resident of Lahore, my query is:
How I can get renewal of my licence in Lahore? is there any way out?
thanks for detailed information mam.
How to make correction if ID card in driving license?
Does smart card and the old license card have same renewal fees
Asalam o alekum any one guide my Islamabad LTV license is expire in 2011 Month Dec due to out of country so i want to renewal my Driving License how much fee for renewal
sir kindly any one guide me
Briefly Explained..
you forgot to mention address.
what about “under the desk” payment?
As i have issue with my father name in learner permit they have written Ahmed instead of Mehmood will it be easy for me to change name?
Any suggestion….
My driving license was loss and it also expired.. in this case what required???
Assalam sir
Ye batai ky car license khogaya hy or dublicate nikalwala hy us ky kia krna hy license no be yaad ni hy us ki validi chk krani plz tell me kis trha chk krhu net pr 0303-2824488
my old book license from sukkur, can i renewel license from karachi.