How to Check Driving License Print Status in Nepal 2026

Checking the driving license print status in Nepal is very crucial for those awaiting to receive their Smart Driving License. Once you have applied for the license and successfully completed the driving test, the smart card will not only take time to be processed but also to be printed and delivered to TMO (Transport Management Office). However, the Department of Transport Management (DoTM) offers different means including web portal, SMS, Nagarik App and call/visit to the office to check your driving license print status with some basic details like license number, applicant ID, and DOB (Date of Birth). Checking the status online helps you determine whether your license has been printed or not, avoiding unnecessary visits to the transport office, and staying informed about the progress of your Smart Driving License.

In this blog, we provide information about what a smart driving license is, why checking license print status is important, information needed to check the status, methods to check the smart license status and steps to perform if your license has not been printed.

What Is a Smart Driving License in Nepal?

Smart Driving License is the card-based driving license that is issued by the Department of Transport Management (DoTM). This smart license replaces the old Nepalese driving license issued prior to December 1, 2025. The new smart driving license is issued as a plastic driving license with the intent of making the driver’s licence easier to verify and harder to counterfeit. Smart Driving License is intended to provide a more reliable way of identifying drivers, recording licence information, and verifying driving entitlements. You can obtain this smart license once you pass the trial exam that checks your ability to drive safely and competently and make the final revenue payment. Obtaining a smart driving license means you are allowed to legally drive your vehicle on the roads of Nepal.

Why Is Checking License Print Status Important?

Once you pass your trial exam conducted at TMO (Transport Management Office) and pay the final revenue, the Department of Transport Management (DoTM) puts your name in the queue to print your smart license. Since there are numerous candidates who pass the trial exam, printing your smart license takes time. Therefore, checking whether your licence has been printed or not is very important. Completing the trial exam and paying the revenue fee does not necessarily mean that your physical Smart Driving License card has already been printed. However, the DoTM may print your smart driving licence within 24 hours of completing the trial exam depending on the circumstances. Below are some of the reasons why checking the license print status is important.

Confirms Whether Your Card Has Been Printed: Once you have passed the trial test, you need to wait before the actual card is printed. Checking on the license status prior can help you know if your application is still in the process, in the process of being printed or already printed and sent out to the specific TMO.
Helps You Know When to Collect the Licence: If your card has been printed and is dispatched to the dedicated TMO, you are able to determine when you should follow up for collection by tracking specific license status. However, dispatched or printed status does not always mean that the card is available to the TMO at any time.
Saves Time and Travel: Transport offices can be busy, and you may have to travel for long distances to reach their designated TMO (Transport Management Office). Checking on the license status online prior to visiting the TMO can save unnecessary travels, especially when the card has not yet been printed yet.
Helps Identify Delays: Checking the license printing status can help in identifying delays through tracking progress stages and revealing stalled applications. In case there are any delays, you can always get in touch with the Transport Management Office or DoTM to know why there is a delay in the process rather than making an assumption that the card is already printed.

What Information Should You Have Before Checking the Status?

Before checking your smart driving licence status, you need to make sure that you have all the information ready with you. Having all the accurate information required for checking the license status helps you check the status quickly and avoid errors. Below is some of the important information you should have before checking the smart driving license status.

Driving License Number: It is a unique number given by DoTM to every applicant which can be found on the payment receipt/ temporary slip. The number usually comprises numbers and hyphens such as 01-03-00202020.
Application ID Number: To check the smart license status via SMS or the web portal, you need to provide the Application ID that is found on the online registration receipt or trial pass receipt
Date of Birth: Your DOB (Date of Birth) is also required on some web portals to check your identity. The DOB should match your application or official records to check. If the DOB is not matched, the portal won’t show your status.

How to Check Your Nepal Driving Licence Print Status?

There are altogether 4 ways through which you can check whether your smart driving license has been printed or not. Using any of these four methods helps you check the current status of your smart licence. You need to make sure that you enter the province code first and then the office code before typing your license number. While checking, you may see one of the following statuses: Printed, Not found, or Invalid.

Printed: The printed status indicates your smart card has arrived at your issuing office and is prepared.
Not found: Not found means no corresponding record is available yet and is still in the printing queue.
Invalid status: The last invalid status indicates the number has not been input in the dedicated format.

Below are the 4 methods through which you can check your smart diving license prints statues.

Check via the official Web Portal

The official web portal provides a convenient way to check your driving licence print status online. By entering the required details, you can find out whether your licence has been printed or not. It is one of the easiest methods for checking your licence status from anywhere where there is an internet connection.

Access the official Portal: Open your browser on your device and access the DoTM’s website. You need to ensure that you are using the official government portal before entering any licence information. The government web portal for checking the license status is https://licenseprintcheck.com/.
Find search box: When you open the official website to check the smart license status, look for the option on which you have to enter your license number. You can see how you have to enter your license number in a particular format.
Enter your licence number: In the section box, you need to type your license number that is found on the payment receipt/temporary slip manually. While typing, you should be concerned about any extra spaces, missing digits, hyphens or incorrect characters that could cause an invalid-format error.
Submit your details: After entering the license number, click on the submit button to complete the process and view your driving license print status. You generally do not need to create an account or log in to check the print status.
Check the result: The portal will show the current status of your licence. Depending on the record, you may see information indicating that the licence has been printed, has not yet been printed, or that the details could not be found.

Check via SMS

You can also check your licence print status through SMS. This method is good for those who want to check their license status using SMS rather than the internet facility. It can be a convenient option when you have limited or no access to online services.

Format: Open your message app on your smartphone. There, type LC, then give a space and enter your license number exactly as you see it. For example, LC 123456, and send a message.
Send To: After entering your license number in the required SMS format, you can send it to the 33001 or 31003 shortcode, depending on the available service.
Response Time: You have to wait for a few seconds to minutes to receive a response. The delays usually occur due to high network traffic.
No reply received: When you don’t get any response, you must be sure that you have entered the right licence number or not and that you have sent it to the right shortcode. If everything is alright, then you must wait for about 10 to 15 minutes and try again as there might be some network congestion.

Check via Nagarik App

The Nagarik App provides access to various government services, including driving licence-related information. You can view your license details and check the status of the driving license. The information can be accessed through your smartphone by using the app.

Update the app: Before accessing the Nagarik App, you must ensure that you update the app to 2.0.95 or later version from Google Play Store.
Log in: You can now login into the app using your mobile number.
Go to Driving License: After you log in your account in the Nagarik App, you can click on the Driving License option.
Link your License: Once you open the driving license, you need to type your driving license number to link your profile if you haven’t done so.
View status: Now, you need to click on your linked status.
Read notification: Once your card is prepared, you will receive a notification stating, “Your driving license has been printed, please pick it up from the appropriate office.” If no notification shows up, your card remains in the queue.

Check via Call/Visit

If online methods and SMS methods don’t provide proper information about your smart license status, like no result and a persistent error, contacting the relevant Transport Management Office by phone or visiting the office in person can be the best option. Before calling the TMO or DoTM, make sure that you have your token slip or application receipt right in front of you, as the office may ask for your application number instead of your name to locate your record. Contacting the office directly can also help resolve cases where your application is delayed due to additional document verification or other issues that may not appear in the automated status systems.

What to Do If Your License Is Not Printed?

If your driving license has not been printed yet, you do not have to panic because sometimes problems may occur at the time of processing or printing. There are few simple steps that you can undertake to check your print status and sort out issues if there are any. These steps are mentioned below.

Confirm Your Details: If your smart driving license is not printed yet, you need to look carefully into the information that you had provided in your application. If you notice some errors, it is necessary to immediately report them in the relevant transport management office.
Follow Up on Delays: If your application has remained pending for more than months, you need to contact the DoTM helpline or submit a complaint under the “Right to Service” provision.
Check Your Transport Office’s Notices: You need to check the Transport office from time to time, as they can sometimes publish lists or notices showing what is the cause for delay in smart license printing and which printed Smart Driving Licenses have arrived at the dedicated office.

However, if your smart license has been printed and dispatched, you can visit the dedicated TMO (Transport Management Office) to collect your smart license.

Conclusion

Checking your smart driving license print status online can be performed in various ways. Instead of repeatedly visiting the transport office, you can use the official DoTM system to find out whether your physical card has been printed and dispatched to the dedicated TMO or not. If the license has not yet been printed, you should remain patient, check the status periodically, and contact the relevant transport office if the delay becomes significant. By keeping your license number, date of birth, and applicant ID, you can also check the status of your driving license via the web portal, SMS, Nagarik App and call/visit the office.

In this blog, we provided information about what a smart driving license is, why checking license print status is important, information needed to check the status, methods to check the smart license status and steps to perform if your license has not been printed. For further information regarding driving, do check out some other blogs. If you are interested in learning to drive to obtain a smart driving license, contact Creation Driving School – one of the best driving schools in Kathmandu.

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FAQs on Smart License

How Long Does It Take to Print a Smart Driving License in Nepal?

In the past, it could take several months to a year to print a smart driving license. However, under the new rules and policies, you can obtain your smart license within 24 hours of completing the trial exam and paying the required revenue.

Where should I contact if my smart license is delayed?

If your smart driving license is delayed, you need to contact the Transport Management Office (TMO) where you submitted your biometrics and application or contact the central Department of Transport Management (DoTM) directly. You need to call 01-4574921 for further information and assistance regarding your driving license status.

Can I check the smart license status of a family member?

Yes, you are allowed to check the smart license statuses of your family, friends and relatives. To check their license status, you need their application ID, license number and DOB (Date of Birth).