Indian Driving Test & Driving License

Interacting with the babus (bureaucrats) strengthens one's character. Seriously! I have become a lot more patient, humble and persevering after visiting a few government offices .

I wasn't stopped, I was trying to get my car back as it was being towed for being parked illegally. The police officer wanted to see my licence before giving the car back. That, and a couple of hundred rupees. It's definitely worth having all the correct paperwork.

And the International Drivers Licence would not do? For bikers, that is.

It should do just fine for visitors, but we are talking about long-term residency.

My view would be... get an IDP in your home country (as is intended) and use it in India until it expires. They are valid for one year. Then get licensed locally.

Update: This view is wrong. See my later post on residence affecting the validity of the IDP

That's according to the letter of the law, of course: I imagine many people would use their IDP while they arranged their local license. But now we know otherwise, we shouldn't advise it

Hmm, some issues getting mixed up here.
If u are a visitor with a foreign licence, of course the IDP will do, in fact that's THE thing that will do - without it, u are done for, as such. But the IDP is not a stand-alone doc, it's valid only in conjunction with a licence from your country of residence. As I've said before, all the IDP is, is a translation of each country's licence/s in an internationally agreed format. So while the IDP must be produced on demand, your domestic licence can also be asked for. Not having it on u is not a good idea.
If there's another question hidden in your a.m. one, i.e. someone happens to have an IDP with validity left, but has a lost or expired domestic DL, but wants to drive on the IDP overseas in the near term, shud they do so? Answer: That person is well advised to get their DL renewed/replaced pronto.

I'd say extension would be a better word than translation. Can't recall my UK IDP (which I never used) had any Hindi on it! My Indian IDP is in English and French!

Stop Press! I just looked at my IDP, and found the following words on it, So that's that then: normally resident in India? Get an Indian driving licence!

There are countries which do not issue licences in English and/or French and/or the Roman script, in which case the IDP actually is a translation. In connection to which I used the word deliberately, becos many years ago I saw it used in an official explanation of what an IDP is.

"In particular, it shall cease to be valid in a State if its holder establishes his normal residence there "

Thanks for making the effort to dig this up, becos it confirms the niggling suspicion I had as being the case (perfectly logical too when u think about it), but didn't feel bold enough to state without the evidence. My IDP was issued a long time ago and since I no longer have it, I can't remember any of the fine print.

I didn't have to dig very far, and should have looked at the actual thing sooner

Well, after reading all replies there would be no point in getting IDP next April when I go back. Will keep perservering, and Prashant M I think I have acquired all those attributes since living here! When dealing with any govt. official I am the model of politeness whilst seething inside - never raise my voice, speak very humbly but firmly etc. The one thing I said to DTO (thanks Dilliwalla we are not an RTO here) was 'Do they have different rules in Jaisalmer? Have the rules changed recently?'
Actually, they have had some recent changes to do with schooling and the standard you go to before you can get a licence. But don't know re RP, don't think so...

3 days have passed - by tomorrow 600kiloms. driven and i will be back in Jaisalmer still without DL! Wheeling and dealing is going on - a Jodhpur friend's friend has now spoken to Jodhpur RTO (remember, my nephew got nowhere with Jodhpur RTO vakiel) high-up officer and this morning the answer has come back, yes, RP sufficient but I must get it in Jaisalmer. Back tomorrow, so back again to RTO there. If any probs. Jaisalmer DTO man is to ring the phone no. I have for getting it sorted.. I think no more posts until I have it in my hot little hand! I think this is becoming a very boring read...

Boring? No... it's getting quite exciting

I guess, though, it is the ind of excitement that you can do without!

LOL Nick! Just thinking today the RTO will give licences to 18 year olds with no driving experience without a test, just fill in the form and hand over a bit extra money but won't give me one...won't disclose the number of years I have been driving! Absurd really...I have decided that if Jaisalmer make difficulties again I am going to have an RTO sign my application form and date it as proof I have tried to get the DL and carry on with my Oz licence in the meanwhile.

Aishah..if you fail this time..I would say Mr.K Should accompany you..

getting a bit assertive with these babu types sure does help...atleast in Delhi..

Sometimes i shout in their face..abuse them and ashame them that they need 'Rishwat' (bribe) for everything...it does work..

Aah, the luxury of living in a metropolis, shash. Tends to backfire in the hinterlands. No point being known by name and face to babudom thereafter, for the wrong reasons.

Aishah, if u fork out cash, u can get an Indian pp illegally, never mind a minor thing like a licence. Keep at it, u'll get it eventually. Think of yourself as Edmund Hillary, going where no one's gone before (he was on 'Peschardt's People' on BBC today, so the comparison is apt). Just think of the service u will have done for the next foreigner that applies at Jaisalmer.
And the next, and the next, and the........Think of it, they shud put up a plaque in your honour, IMO.

I should never have said it was easy.

Sorry. All my fault ...