Postal service begins nationwide delivery of driving licenses

KATHMANDU: The Department of Postal Services has begun distributing driving licenses to transport offices across the country, marking a step toward improving public service delivery.

The service, launched on April 9, follows an earlier agreement with the government to deliver embossed number plates, according to Director General Manmaya Bhattarai Pangeni.

Pangeni said licenses received on April 9 were dispatched to Jhapa the following day and handed over once offices reopened on Sunday.

Subsequent batches have already been sent to districts including Sunsari, Dadeldhura, and Doti.

Although a separate agreement for license delivery has not yet been signed, the department is currently operating under the existing arrangement.

The department is also exploring a system that would allow applicants to specify delivery addresses while filling out license forms.

“If implemented, postal offices in all 753 local levels could deliver licenses directly to people’s homes or nearby offices,” Pangeni said.

At present, the Department of Transport Management operates 42 offices nationwide, where the printed licenses are being dispatched.

The initiative aligns with the reform agenda of Prime Minister Balendra Shah, which includes delivering essential documents such as licenses, citizenship certificates, and passports directly to citizens.

The move also comes after the transport department suffered damage during the Gen-Z protests, prompting it to partner with the Security Printing Center for license printing.

Under an agreement signed on October 29, 2025, the center is currently printing around 40,000 licenses per day, with a target to complete the current batch by April 25.

Additionally, a new agreement was signed on Friday to print the remaining 1.7 million licenses, which officials say will be completed by July.

During an inspection of the printing center in Panauti, Kavre, Minister for Communications and Information Technology Bikram Timilsina instructed officials to ensure that licenses are printed within 24 hours of applicants passing their trial.