Nepal prints 2.6 million smart driving licenses, clearing backlog

Nepal's Security Printing Centre has successfully cleared a significant backlog of smart driving license applications, printing nearly 2.6 million cards in just over eight months. This achievement stems from an agreement with the Department of Transport Management (DoTM), which aimed to tackle a backlog of 2.9 million applications.

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We have printed all the cards included in the second batch of data provided by the department. The remaining printed licences will be handed over to the department by mid-July, clearing the backlog.

The center completed the printing in two phases, delivering 2,592,417 license cards. According to Dev Raj Dhungana, executive director of the Security Printing Centre, all eligible cards based on the provided data have been printed. The initial agreement, signed in October 2025, targeted 1.2 million cards, which were completed on schedule. A subsequent agreement in April 2026 aimed to print an additional 1.7 million backlog licenses by July 16.

Dhungana confirmed that all cards from the second batch of data have been printed and will be handed over to the DoTM by mid-July, effectively clearing the backlog. The center now receives daily data for 3,000 to 4,000 applicants, covering new tests and renewals. Future plans involve direct printing agreements with seven provincial governments, though data will initially continue to be routed through the DoTM.

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With the backlog cleared, applicants completing new driving tests or renewing their licences after mid-July will receive their smart cards without delay.

The DoTM stated that 307,583 licenses have less than a year of validity remaining and will only be printed upon renewal. This decision was made because printing them would be impractical, leading to additional costs for both the government and applicants who would need to renew them shortly after issuance. Regular license printing also continued alongside the backlog clearance, with thousands of urgent and regular applications processed in two phases.

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Initially, we estimated that between 300,000 and 350,000 licences fell into this category. After verification, the figure came to 307,583.