Smart Licence Backlog Cleared, 24-Hour Printing Begins

The long-standing backlog in Nepal's smart driving licence printing has officially been cleared, with the government announcing that all pending licences have now been printed.

Going forward, new smart licences will be printed and handed over to the Department of Transport Management within 24 hours of receiving applicant details.

According to a press statement issued by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology on July 16,2026, a total of 2.7 million smart driving licences have been printed under two separate agreements between the ministry, the Security Printing Centre, and the Department of Transport Management under the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport.

The completion of the project marks the end of the years-long backlog that had delayed licence issuance for hundreds of thousands of motorists across the country.

Under the first agreement, signed on Kartik 12, 2082 BS, the Security Printing Centre completed the printing of 1.2 million smart licences within the stipulated timeframe.

A second agreement, signed on Baisakh 4, 2083 BS, covered the remaining demand with an additional 1.5 million licences. The second phase was completed on Asar 32, 2083 BS, bringing the total number of printed smart licences to 2.7 million. The ministry also stated that the Security Printing Centre has now transitioned to regular operations.

Every day, the Department of Transport Management provides details of approximately 3,000 to 5,000 applicants who have either passed their driving tests and paid the required fees or renewed their licences. Based on these records, smart licences are printed within 24 hours and delivered back to the department for distribution.

Officials say this new workflow is expected to significantly reduce waiting times and improve the overall efficiency of the licence issuance process.

The government is also preparing to coordinate with all seven provincial governments and their respective transport ministries to establish agreements for the continued printing of smart driving licences through the Security Printing Centre.

The ministry credited the completion of the backlog to the priority given by Minister for Communications and Information Technology Dr. Bikram Timilsina, who had identified the clearance of the licence printing queue as one of the ministry's key objectives after assuming office.

Beyond driving licences, the Security Printing Centre is also preparing to domestically produce other high-security government documents, including citizenship certificates, national identity cards, excise duty stickers, postage stamps, and land ownership certificates.

The government believes local production of these security documents will reduce dependence on foreign suppliers, lower public expenditure, strengthen domestic investment, create employment opportunities, and improve public service delivery.