A stringent new set of rules governing driving license tests came into force across the country, tightening timelines that applicants must meet at every stage of the licensing process or risk having to start over from scratch.
Under the revised procedure, candidates who pass the computerized e-sign test are now required to appear for their road test within 24 hours. Missing this window invalidates the e-sign result entirely, forcing applicants to retake it before they can proceed further.
Passing both tests, however, no longer guarantees swift approval.
Traffic authorities will withhold clearance unless a Personal Service Identification (PSID) number is generated for the applicant within the same 24-hour period. If the PSID fails to materialize in time, the results of both the e-sign and road tests are discarded, effectively resetting the entire application.
A further deadline applies once the PSID is issued: applicants have seven days to deposit the associated fee. Non-payment within this period results in outright cancellation of the license application.
Should the PSID itself expire before payment is made, candidates must repeat both tests within a fresh 24-hour cycle, with no exceptions built into the process.
Traffic officials said road test centers will now also serve as collection points for regular license applications, consolidating a function previously handled separately. The Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Traffic has written to traffic chiefs in all districts, instructing them to enforce the new timeline without deviation.
The overhaul appears designed to close loopholes that allowed delays or lapses between testing stages, pushing applicants through a tighter, more accountable pipeline from test to final approval.
