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License Print Check in Nepal: How to Check if Your Smart Driving License Is Printed (2026)

License print check in Nepal: do a smart license print check online in DoTM's printed lists or your office's page, and know what to bring to collect it.

By Manoj Kumar Thapa

· 7 min read

Passed your trial and waiting for the card? A license print check (people also call it a driving license print check) tells you whether your smart driving license has been printed and can be collected. You can do a smart license print check online in two official ways. The first is to look for your license number in the printed-license lists that the Department of Transport Management (DoTM) posts on dotm.gov.np. The second is your transport office's own print-status search, if it has one. This guide walks through both, then covers collecting the card and DoTM's urgent printing for people going abroad. If you haven't applied yet, start with the driving licence online form guide.

License check Nepal: which print check do you need?

You want to Where What you need
Check if your smart license is printed DoTM's printed-license lists (PDF), regular and urgent Your license number (XX-XX-XXXXXXXX)
Check in Lumbini Province (Rupandehi office) The office's license print status page Your license number
Get an urgent license before going abroad DoTM's urgent printing service Visa, ticket and other travel documents

License print check: DoTM's smart licence printed list

The printed lists are the main DoTM license check, and they cover every transport office. You'll find them under details of printed licenses (छपाई भएका सवारी चालक अनुमतिपत्रहरुको विवरण), in two kinds:

  • Regular lists (नियमित): one per transport office, for licenses printed and sent to that office. The Pokhara (Kaski) list is an example (DoTM).
  • Urgent lists (अत्यावश्यक): urgent licenses ready to collect at DoTM on a given date. More on these in the urgent license section below.

Every list is a PDF with these columns:

Column Example
S.N. 1
License Holder Name (name in capitals)
License Number 01-07-XXXXXXXX
Category A, B or K, or several such as A,B
Office POKHARA
License Printed Date 2026-APR-27

In the urgent lists, a Distribution Ready Date column takes the place of the office and the print date.

How to find your license number in a long PDF

These files are huge. The Pokhara list we opened runs to 2,634 pages, sorted by name from A to Z, so search rather than scroll:

  1. Open the list for the office where you applied, or the urgent list if you applied for an urgent license.
  2. On a laptop, press Ctrl+F (Windows) or Cmd+F (Mac).
  3. On a phone, open the PDF in Chrome or Google Drive and tap Find in page or the search icon.
  4. Type your license number exactly as it is printed, hyphens included, for example 01-07-00123456. No match? Try just the last eight digits.
  5. When it comes up, the License Printed Date column shows when your card was printed.

The lists we checked were exported from Excel, so their text can be searched.

Check on your office's own print-status page

A few transport offices run their own search. The Transport Management Office (driving license), Rupandehi in Butwal, Lumbini Province, has a license print status page: you enter your license number as XX-XX-XXXXXXXX. The office says printed licenses are handed out in room no. 11, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Most other offices don't have a page like this. Look at your own office's website or notices, and fall back on the DoTM lists.

When you collect your smart license

DoTM in Minbhawan, Kathmandu, opens Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 4:00 in winter (16 Kartik to 15 Magh) and 9:00 to 5:00 the rest of the year (dotm.gov.np). Transport offices keep their own hours, like Rupandehi's above. What to take with you is in the questions below.

Before you walk away from the counter, check the name, categories and dates on the card. DoTM has published a sample smart card license with its security features to compare yours with.

Urgent driving license for people going abroad

If you need your card before you leave Nepal, DoTM can print it urgently (अत्यावश्यक सवारी चालक अनुमतिपत्र छपाइ). DoTM's citizen charter (PDF) lists the documents according to why you are going:

  • Study abroad: a No Objection Certificate (NOC), Certificate of Eligibility (COE) or university offer letter, plus your passport, visa and ticket. Our guide shows how to apply for the NOC online.
  • Work abroad: passport, visa or residence card, ticket and labour permit.
  • UN peacekeeping missions: a recommendation from your office, the nomination letter and ID.
  • Non-resident Nepalis: NRN card or PR card, ticket and passport.
  • Diplomats: a recommendation letter from the embassy and the license holder's ID.

The charter describes the process like this:

  1. You apply on DoTM's online portal (the charter gives applydlnew.dotm.gov.np/login). Staff check your documents and approve the application.
  2. 72 hours after approval, DoTM's Facebook page ("Hello Yatayat Byawastha Bibhag") tells you whether the card is printed. The charter puts the service time at "at least 72 hours" and lists no fee for the urgent service itself.
  3. DoTM also posts PDF lists of urgent licenses ready to hand out. The newest we found was dated 8 Asar 2083 (22 June 2026) (DoTM).
  4. You pick up the card in person at DoTM's license distribution room, and the charter says this happens on the day you go. Someone else can collect it with your consent letter (see the questions below).

Help and complaints

Frequently asked questions

How do I check if my license is printed in Nepal?
Go to DoTM's printed-license lists on dotm.gov.np, open the list for the office where you applied, and search the PDF for your license number with Ctrl+F or Find in page. If your number is there, the License Printed Date column tells you when the card was printed.
How can I check my license print status online?
Search DoTM's printed-license lists, use your office's print-status page if there is one (Rupandehi in Lumbini has one), or open DoTM's license check page for your license details. For a new application, use License Tracking on your province license portal with your application ID.
Why is my license not on the printed list?
The lists come out well after the cards are printed: the Pokhara list posted on 8 October 2026 covers cards printed on 27 April 2026. Check your own office's newest list and the urgent list, and track your application on your province portal. The lists use AD dates; the Nepali date converter converts DoTM's BS dates.
Can I check my license print by name?
You can, because the lists include names, but the same name often appears many times. Your license number is unique, so search for that instead to land on the right record in the smart licence printed list.
What is the format of a Nepal driving license number?
Two digits, two more digits and then eight digits, joined by hyphens: XX-XX-XXXXXXXX, for example 01-07-00123456. Keep the hyphens when you search a printed list or an office print-status page.
How long does license printing take?
DoTM doesn't give a fixed time for regular licenses. For the urgent service, its citizen charter says at least 72 hours after your application is approved. Regular lists can appear months after printing, as the Pokhara list shows.
Can I get my driving license urgently if I'm going abroad?
Yes. DoTM's urgent printing covers people going abroad to study or work, UN peacekeepers, non-resident Nepalis and diplomats. You need documents such as your NOC or offer letter, passport, visa and ticket, and DoTM has to approve the application.
Can someone else collect my license?
For an urgent license, DoTM's citizen charter lets another person collect it with your consent letter (in the format of schedule 5 of the urgent printing directive, 2081) and their own application. For a regular license, ask your transport office first.
What do I need to bring to collect my smart license?
The original receipts for every fee you paid, and your old license if you renewed or added a category. DoTM's notices with the printed lists ask license holders to bring these.
Is there an SMS to check my license print?
Some websites say you can send LC and a number to 33001, but we found no such service on any DoTM page or in its citizen charter. Rely on the printed lists and the official portals instead.

Related: Driving licence online form (apply for or renew a license online) · NID card check (you need an NID number for a new license) · NOC online in Nepal (for an urgent license before studying abroad) · Nepali date converter

Sources: DoTM: details of printed licenses · DoTM: Pokhara printed licenses, 22 Asoj 2083 · DoTM: urgent licenses ready on 8 Asar 2083 · DoTM citizen charter (PDF) · DoTM: EDLVRS province portals · TMO Rupandehi: license print status · DoTM: smart card license sample · DoTM homepage