New driving license is safe, practical and quality: Ministry of Communications

लगानी न्यूज

७ बैशाख २०८३, सोमबार २१:४३April 20, 2026

Kathmandu. KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MoCIT) has made public the latest progress related to the printing of smart driving license, technology and strengthening of security.

Issuing a press release today, the Ministry shared detailed information about the technical structure, security level and long-term strategy of the new smart license that is being printed through the Security Printing Center.TAG_OPEN_div_22 According to the ministry, the new smart license has been prepared in accordance with the ISO 7810 ID-1 standard. Which is similar to the size of a credit card used around the world. According to the Ministry, Nepal has also adopted this card based on the same technology which has been used by the developed countries for decades.

} The government has chosen the new model after concluding that the ‘smart chip’ technology in use in the past has not been implemented effectively. “Code encrypted, layered and copy-protected intelligent QR (IQR) technology with high security is currently being adopted to reduce the risk created by dependence on foreign experts due to lack of necessary national infrastructure such as card reader and online-offline authentication system for the full utilization of the ‘smart chip’ in the system used in the past,” he said. This has institutionalized offline verification and enables traffic police or other regulatory bodies to instantly verify the identity and authenticity of a driver by scanning their cards without internet access. ”

In terms of security, the new smart license includes 39 different security features divided into three levels, according to the ministry.TAG_OPEN_div_18 The first layer includes metallic silver ink that is visible to the naked eye, a machine-readable zone (MRZ) and special photo safety features. The second layer uses invisible UV ink and infrared absorption technology, which is visible only through special equipment. High-end security mechanisms such as digital fingerprint and proprietary chemical signature have been put in place at the third or forensic level. Since the design of each card is different from the other, one card will be completely different from the other, making it less likely to be counterfeited.

The ministry has also clarified that the entire production process has been conducted in an end-to-end offline format. “This makes the risk of data leakage or unauthorized access negligible,” the statement said, adding that the validity of the QR code will remain valid for the duration of the card. According to the ministry, the system has been developed by prioritizing citizens’ privacy and data security.

This initiative of the TAG_OPEN_div_14 government is seen as an important step towards self-sufficiency in the field of security printing. This has controlled the outflow of foreign currency and developed the ability to produce sensitive documents safely in the country. According to the Secure Printing Centre, the preparation has been prepared to produce postal stamps, citizenship certificates, excise duty stickers, land ownership certificates, visa stickers and university certificates in the country in the coming days.

Currently TAG_OPEN_div_12, the center has been able to print the license within 24 hours of paying the revenue after passing the trial for the driving license. Similarly, all the remaining licenses will be printed by mid-July. According to the center, 12 lakh old licenses will be printed by April 26 and an additional 17 lakh old licenses will be printed by mid-July.