Madras High Court refrains from staying Tamil Nadu government’s move to roll out digital driving licences, RCs

On September 11, 2026, the Madras High Court refrained from intervening in the Tamil Nadu government's decision to shift from physical to digital issuance of driving licences and motor vehicle registration certificates. The First Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan accepted the Attorney General's (A-G) request to give the government time to file detailed counter affidavits to the three writ petitions challenging the transition.

The petitions were filed by Force Identification Private Limited, a Bengaluru-based company, and two others. The A-G argued that the digital transition aimed to eliminate corruption at Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) and benefit citizens monetarily, as printing charges would be waived and documents could be stored on mobile phones.

The shift aligns with similar measures already taken by six other states, including Kerala, Assam, and Rajasthan, making Tamil Nadu the seventh state to adopt the digital system. The Attorney General further emphasized that the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, and related rules allow this transition, urging the court to allow the government additional time to respond to the petitions instead of granting an interim stay.