Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 · Chapter II: Licensing of Drivers of Motor Vehicles
Section 3: Necessity for driving licence
(1) No person shall drive a motor vehicle in any public place unless he holds an effective driving licence issued to him authorising him to drive the vehicle; and no person shall so drive a transport vehicle [other than [a motor cab or motor cycle] hired for his own use or rented under any scheme made under sub-section (2) of section 75] unless his driving licence specifically entitles him so to do.
(2) The conditions subject to which sub-section (1) shall not apply to a person receiving instructions in driving a motor vehicle shall be such as may be prescribed by the Central Government.
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 14 October 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 3
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M/S Bajaj Alliance General Insurance Co. Ltd. v. Rambha Devi & Ors.
(i) Whether a driver holding a Light Motor Vehicle (LMV) license (for vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of less than 7,500 kgs) as per Section 10(2)(d), which specifies ‘Light Motor Vehicle’, can operate a ‘Transport…
- Beli Ram v. Rajinder Kumar & Anr.
- Mukund Dewangan v. Oriental Insurance Company Limited
- S. Rajaseekaran v. Union of India & Ors.
- National Insurance Co. Ltd. v. Kaushalya Devi and Ors.
- New Indian Assurance Co. Ltd. v. Roshanben Rahemansha Fakir & Anr.
- Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd. v. Zaharulnisha & Ors.
- Ashok Gangadhar Maratha v. Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd.