Maharashtra driving licence new rule from Aug 1: Domicile certificate made mandatory

Mumbaikars looking to get their driving licence will now have to produce their domicile certificate, as per the latest order from the Maharashtra government. According to the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led government, in all of Maharashtra, driving licence seekers will have to mandatorily produce a domicile certificate from 1 August 2026.

What Sarnaik told Maharashtra assembly

Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik disclosed the timeline while addressing the Maharashtra legislative assembly on Tuesday. He was responding to a query tabled by MLA Dilip Lande during Question Hour.

According to Sarnaik, the draft rules have already been forwarded to the Law and Judiciary Department for vetting, and the domicile clause will only take effect once that clearance comes through.

The minister framed the move as an effort to streamline the issuance of driving licences across the state, though he did not elaborate on the specific documentation applicants will need to prove domicile status.

Bike taxi crackdown in Maharashtra

Alongside the licensing update, Maharashtra minister Sarnaik used the session to address the contentious question of app-based bike taxis operating in Maharashtra. He told legislators that enforcement teams were continuing to act against unauthorised operators even as the government drafts a regulatory framework intended to formally legalise the sector.

That framework, he said, is designed to serve three purposes: generating revenue for the state, creating jobs for young people, and bringing an unregulated segment of urban transport under legal oversight.

Under the proposed structure, bike taxi operators would pay the government a daily fee of ₹5, while an additional ₹2 collected from every ride would feed into a welfare fund earmarked for drivers.

"Rules prohibit the use of private two-wheelers for passenger transport without authorisation. However, the State Transport Authority had granted 30-day temporary licences for operations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region to aggregator companies Uber India Systems Pvt Ltd, Roppen Transportation Services Pvt Ltd (Rapido) and ANI Technologies Pvt Ltd (Ola), subject to compliance with all prescribed conditions within one month," Sarnaik said.

Safety provisions for women and minors in Maharashtra

The Maharashtra minister noted that the Maharashtra Bike Taxi Rules, 2025, include dedicated provisions aimed at safeguarding women, students and minors who use the service.

He said drivers operating under the scheme would be obliged to hold a valid driving licence in accordance with the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, as well as a public service vehicle badge issued under the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. A police character verification, he added, would be a compulsory precondition before any such badge is granted.

Sarnaik reiterated that enforcement against traffic violations and unlicensed operations would remain firm, stating that strict action would continue against drivers who flout traffic norms or run vehicles without proper authorisation.

The enforcement numbers so far

Data shared by the minister painted a picture of sustained action against illegal operators over the past financial year. Between April 2025 and March 2026, transport authorities detected 814 vehicles running without valid permits, seized 151 of them, registered 14 FIRs, and recovered fines worth ₹16.25 lakh.

"Between April 2025 and March 2026, transport authorities detected 814 vehicles operating without valid permits, seized 151 vehicles, registered 14 FIRs, and recovered fines amounting to ₹16.25 lakh," he said.

A more recent snapshot, covering April and May 2026, showed action taken against 211 vehicles, with 66 seized and fines totalling ₹2.31 lakh collected. No FIRs were filed during those two months, according to the figures presented to the assembly.