How to apply for a learner's licence online in Kerala

Last updated: September 2026

You apply on sarathi.parivahan.gov.in: pick Kerala under Driving Licence Related Services, choose Apply for Learner Licence, fill Form 2, upload ID, age and address proof plus Form 1, pay the official fee (Rs.150 for the licence issue plus Rs.50 for the test, Rs.200 total per vehicle class), then book a slot for the computer-based test at your RTO. Everything except the test itself is done online; plan to sit the test at the RTO on their computers.

Who can apply: the age rules

Vehicle class	Minimum age
Gearless two-wheeler up to 50 cc	16, with a parent or guardian's written consent
Motorcycle, car and other private vehicles	18
Transport (commercial) vehicles	20

You also need to be medically fit, and applicants above 40 or applying for a transport class need a Form 1A medical certificate. This matches the age rules covered in our learner's licence question bank.

The official fee

Fee item	Official amount
Issue of learner's licence, per vehicle class	Rs.150
Learner's licence test fee (including a repeat attempt)	Rs.50
Total for one class (for example bike only)	Rs.200
Total for two classes (for example bike plus car)	Rs.400

These are the central fees from the Central Motor Vehicle Rules fee schedule, confirmed by multiple independent sources including a Kerala-specific guide updated in January 2026. I could not open the live Parivahan fee table directly while researching, so treat the amount the portal shows at checkout as final. A driving school that files the application for you will quote more; treat anything above this table as a service charge and ask for an itemised quote.

Documents checklist

Age proof: birth certificate, Class 10 marksheet, passport, PAN card, or Aadhaar showing your date of birth
Address proof: Aadhaar, passport, voter ID, or a utility bill in your name
A recent passport-size photograph and a scanned signature
Form 1: self-declaration of physical fitness (filled on the portal)
Form 1A medical certificate: only if you are above 40 or applying for a transport class
Parent or guardian consent letter: only for 16-year-old applicants
A mobile number and email ID, with the mobile linked to your Aadhaar for OTP verification

Scan everything clearly before you start. Unclear uploads are one of the top reasons applications get held up.

Steps: apply on Parivahan

Go to sarathi.parivahan.gov.in (or open parivahan.gov.in, then Online Services, then Driving Licence Related Services).
Select Kerala as the state.
Click Apply for Learner Licence.
Complete the Aadhaar verification. The portal sends an OTP to the mobile number linked with your Aadhaar; keep that number active.
Fill Form 2: personal details, address, and the vehicle class you want (two-wheeler, car, and so on). Form 1, the fitness self-declaration, is part of the same flow.
Upload the scanned documents, your photograph and your signature.
Pay the official fee online by UPI, debit or credit card, or net banking. Save the acknowledgement number the portal gives you.
Book your test slot: choose the RTO and pick a date and time from the available slots. Keep the slot confirmation ready for test day.

Online or RTO visit? Everything above is online. The one in-person step is the computer-based test at the RTO. A test-from-home mode exists in some states, but I could not confirm Kerala MVD offers it, so plan for the RTO visit. The same split applies to other services; our learner's licence service page summarises it in brief.

Booking your test slot in Kerala

Book under the RTO whose jurisdiction covers your address. Each Kerala RTO carries a KL code, for example the KL-01 Thiruvananthapuram RTO.
Slots are released in batches and the busier RTOs fill fast. If your first choice shows no availability, check the portal again the next day; slots reopen when other applicants reschedule or cancel.
You need the slot confirmation plus your application number at the RTO on test day, so download or print both.
If you fail, you can reappear after 7 days by paying only the Rs.50 test fee again.

Test day: what to expect

Arrive early with your documents and the slot confirmation. The test is a computer-based set of 15 multiple-choice questions on traffic signs, road rules and safety; you need at least 9 correct, with 30 seconds per question. You pick Malayalam, English or Hindi at the start of the test. Practise with the question bank in our Kerala learner's licence test questions with answers post before you go. On passing, the learner's licence is issued and downloadable from the portal. It is valid for six months, and you must hold it for at least 30 days before applying for the permanent licence, so read what the Kerala driving test involves while you practise.

FAQs

Can I take the learner's licence test from home in Kerala?

Not confirmed. Aadhaar-verified home tests exist in some states, but I could not verify that Kerala MVD offers this. Plan to take the computer test at your RTO.

Can I apply for two vehicle classes at once?

Yes, for example a motorcycle and a car. The fee is charged per class, so two classes cost Rs.400 in official fees.

Do I need a driving school to apply?

No. The application is a do-it-yourself online process. Schools are for driving practice; some applicants also say a school helped with slot booking. Treat their price as a service charge on top of the official fee above, and ask for an itemised quote.

What if my application gets rejected?

The usual causes are unclear document scans and details that do not match RTO records. Fix the mismatch, re-apply, and remember that a fresh application costs another round of the official fee.

Fees and rules change without notice. Verify all fees and rules on parivahan.gov.in before applying.