Form and contents of licences to drive
Section 10 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 deals with form and contents of licences to drive. Every learner's licence and driving licence, except a driving licence issued under section 18, shall be in such form and shall contain such information as may be prescribed by the Central Government. The Act came into force on 01 Jul 1989.
(1) Every learner's licence and driving licence, except a driving licence issued under section 18, shall be in such form and shall contain such information as may be prescribed by the Central Government.
(2) A learner’s licence or, as the case may be, driving licence shall also be expressed as entitling the holder to drive a motor vehicle of one or more of the following classes, namely:
(a) motor cycle without gear;
(b) motor cycle with gear;
(c) 1[adapted vehicle];
(d) light motor vehicle;
2[(e) transport vehicle;]
(i) road-roller;
(j) motor vehicle of a specified description.
Section 10, The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (Act 59 of 1988).
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
This section refers to
Referred to by 1
Related judgements & precedents
These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.
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Mukund Dewangan v. Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd.
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
A light motor vehicle licence covers a transport vehicle whose gross vehicle weight is within the LMV band; a separate transport endorsement is not required for that class. (Subsequent MV Amendment 2019 / later benches have revisited the edges.)
On this section: s.10 class of vehicle: LMV includes transport vehicles within the prescribed weight, without a separate badge.
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Chairman, R. S. R. T. C. vs Santosh
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
A vehicle is a motor vehicle under Section 2(28) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 if it is mechanically propelled and adapted for use upon roads, regardless of its primary purpose or actual use. The test is the vehicle's suitability for road use and mechanical propulsion, not whether it is primarily used for agriculture or other purposes. Accordingly, Jugaads are motor vehicles subject to all provisions of the Act including registration, insurance, and driver licensing requirements, unless specifically exempted by state notification for vehicles exclusively used for agricultural purposes with appropriate specifications. This classification is enforceable through statutory authority actions, and the Supreme Court may issue directions to ensure compliance with existing law to address public safety concerns and legislative gaps.
On this section: Central Government authority to prescribe driving license forms for various vehicle categories; demonstrates comprehensive regulatory framework
The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.
Made under this section, and citing it
1 instrument states that it was made under this provision — the power to make it comes from here, so a change to any of them changes what this section requires in practice. Newest first.
Questions about Section 10
What have the courts held on Section 10 of the Motor Vehicles Act?
Mukund Dewangan v. Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd. (03 Jul 2017) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: s.10 class of vehicle: LMV includes transport vehicles within the prescribed weight, without a separate badge. Another 1 judgment on this section is set out below, all of them from the Supreme Court. They run from 2013 to 2017.
How do I find court cases under Section 10 of the Motor Vehicles Act?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: MV Act 10, section 10 MV Act, section 10 of the Motor Vehicles Act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 2 reported judgments on this section are set out on this page, beginning with Mukund Dewangan v. Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd. (03 Jul 2017).
What should I read with Section 10 of the Motor Vehicles Act, and has it changed?
Its own text turns on section 18 (Driving Licences to drive motor vehicles, belonging to the Central Government), so none of them can safely be read on its own. 1 other provision in this corpus refers back to it. The rules and notifications made under it are where it actually bites, and there is one: most recently SO 3110(E) dated 28.08.2019 enforcement of sections of motor vehicle (2019).
When did Section 10 of the Motor Vehicles Act come into force?
Section 10 of the Motor Vehicles Act, cited as MV Act 10, came into force on 01 Jul 1989, having been enacted on 14 Oct 1988. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
- 2. Definitions1948 words
- 88. Validation of permits for use outside region in which granted1560 words
- 51. Special provisions regarding motor vehicle subject to hire-purchase agreement, etc1199 words
- 150. Duty of insurers to satisfy judgments and awards against persons insured in respect of third party risks1102 words
- 96. Power of State Government to make rules for the purposes of this Chapter995 words
- 72. Grant of stage carriage permits868 words
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 15 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.