Sri Lanka Driving License Renewal, Medical & Fees

Q: How much does it cost to renew a driving license in Sri Lanka?

LKR 2,800 for Normal Service or LKR 4,000 for Same-Day (One-Day) Service. These fees come from the Motor Traffic (Driving Licence Levy) Regulations No. 03 of 2022. The NTMI medical adds LKR 1,500, so the total is LKR 4,300 or LKR 5,500. If your license has lapsed, add LKR 500 per lapsed year. See the total cost table.

Q: What is the price of a one-day driving license renewal?

The one-day (Same-Day) renewal price is LKR 4,000 at DMT. With the LKR 1,500 NTMI medical, you pay LKR 5,500 in total. Same-Day Service prints your smart card on the same visit, subject to office capacity.

What Is It Actually Like?

This guide covers the official fees, documents and rules. For a first-person account of the queue, the NTMI medical and the day itself, read Driving license renewal at DMT Werahera: a first-hand account →

Applying Through a Driving School?

Many first-time applicants train with a private driving school rather than learning to drive independently. It's worth knowing what that does and doesn't change: a driving school provides practical instruction with a licensed instructor, but it doesn't submit anything to the DMT on your behalf. You still need to register yourself, sit the written and practical tests in person, book your own NTMI medical certificate, and bring every document listed in the New License tab above. The requirements are the same whether or not you use a driving school.

How to Book the NTMI Driving License Medical

How do I book the NTMI medical for my driving license?

Book the National Transport Medical Institute (NTMI) medical by calling 225 from any mobile or 1225 from an SLT line. NTMI's website also has an online appointment link. The medical costs LKR 1,500. The certificate must be less than 6 months old when you renew, so book it close to your DMT appointment.

Ways to book

Phone: dial 225 from any mobile network, or 1225 from an SLT landline.
Online: the Appointment link on ntmi.lk (appointment.ntmi.lk), where you choose the branch, the service and a time slot.

Where to go

NTMI head office: 170 High Level Road, Nugegoda.
Branches outside Colombo: NTMI lists 25 branch offices, including Kandy, Galle, Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, Gampaha, Kalutara, Matara and Jaffna. Addresses and phone numbers are on ntmi.lk/contact.

Cost and validity

Item	Value
NTMI medical fee (renewal, new license or learner's permit)	LKR 1,500
How recent the certificate must be	Within 6 months of your renewal application

What happens at the medical? The checks are height, weight, blood pressure, a blood-sugar test and a vision check with a doctor. Step 2 below gives the order. For what the visit is really like, read the first-hand account.

Source: NTMI home page and contact page (booking channels, address and branches, checked 27 Sep 2026); NTMI Services (LKR 1,500); DMT Renewal page (6-month window).

Driving License Fees & Price: Normal vs Same-Day (One-Day) Service

Renewal fees are set under the Motor Traffic (Driving Licence Levy) Regulations No. 03 of 2022. Same-Day Service is often called the One-Day Service.

Service	Fee (LKR)	License validity	Processing / delivery time	Where available
Renewal, Normal Service	LKR 2,800	8 years (light) / 4 years (heavy)	Standard counter service at Werahera or an online-method district office	Werahera Head Office and online-method district offices
Renewal, Same-Day (One-Day) Service	LKR 4,000	8 years (light) / 4 years (heavy)	Same-day smart card issuance, subject to office capacity	Werahera Head Office and online-method district offices

Source: DMT Charges for Services, Schedule I item 6(a) (Gazette No. 2306/02, as amended to 17 Nov 2025); Act No. 18 of 2017, s.126B.

License Validity: What We Could and Couldn't Verify

Section 126B of the Motor Traffic (Amendment) Act No. 18 of 2017 sets the renewal period at 8 years for light vehicle classes and 4 years for heavy vehicle classes, with no age-based exception stated anywhere in that section.

You'll find conflicting claims online that this period shortens once you turn 60 or 65, with different sites quoting different numbers.
We checked the Act text directly, the Department of Motor Traffic's own site, and the National Transport Medical Institute's site, and found no official source confirming an age-based reduction.
Until an official gazette or DMT circular turns up, treat any specific age-60 figures you see elsewhere as unconfirmed.

On 18 December 2025, the Minister of Transport announced that "legal steps" would start to extend the initial validity period of a driving license up to the age of 35. This is a proposal, not current law. As of 27 Sep 2026, we have not found a gazette that puts it into effect.

Source: Newswire, "Minister Bimal visits Motor Traffic Office: 8 key decisions", 18 Dec 2025 (decision 8), newswire.lk

Total cost, including the NTMI medical

You pay two separate bodies: DMT for the license and NTMI for the medical certificate.

What you're doing	DMT fee	NTMI medical	Total
Renewal, Normal Service	LKR 2,800	LKR 1,500	LKR 4,300
Renewal, Same-Day (One-Day) Service	LKR 4,000	LKR 1,500	LKR 5,500
Late renewal (license already expired)	LKR 500 for each lapsed year, or part of a year, on top of the Normal Service fee	(no extra)	Add the surcharge to the Normal Service row
New license or learner's permit, one class, Normal Service	LKR 2,500	LKR 1,500	LKR 4,000
New license or learner's permit, one class, Same-Day Service	LKR 3,500	LKR 1,500	LKR 5,000

Some other websites still show older, lower prices. Those come from the fee schedule used before 2022.

Source: DMT Charges for Services, Schedule I items 1(a), 6(a), 6(b); NTMI Services. Last checked 27 Sep 2026.

Getting a Driving License for the First Time

Renewal isn't the only path through this guide. If you don't hold a license yet, here's how the new-license process actually works, and what it costs, verified against DMT's own procedure and fee pages.

The Learner → Written → Practical Sequence

You can register and sit the written test from age 17 (light vehicle) or 20 (heavy vehicle). Pass it, and a learner's permit is issued for up to 18 months. You then need to wait at least 3 months after getting the permit, and reach 18 (light) or 21 (heavy), before you're eligible to sit the practical test. Pass that, and the new driving license is issued.

Documents & Fees

Bring your NIC or passport. Because this is your first license, also bring your original birth certificate. You need two black-and-white passport photos only at offices using the offline method. At Werahera and the other online-method offices, your photo is taken digitally. Before the practical test, you also need an NTMI medical certificate dated within 6 months, the same as for renewals.

For the new-license price, see the total cost table above.

Source: DMT New Driving License page.

If you're preparing for the written test, try LankaSolve's free driving license mock exam, or study the driving license exam paper with answers.

Step-by-Step Renewal Process

Follow these stages, in order, to complete your renewal:

Book your NTMI medical appointment

Call 225 from any mobile or 1225 from an SLT line to book your NTMI medical before your DMT visit. See How to Book the NTMI Driving License Medical above. The certificate must be less than 6 months old, so time it close to your DMT appointment.

Attend the Medical Examination

At your NTMI appointment: pay the medical fee and receive a token, have your height/weight/blood pressure and a blood-sugar test taken, then a doctor's evaluation including a vision check. Certificates are issued the same visit once all checks are cleared.

Book your DMT appointment online

Book your renewal slot on the official DMT Appointments Portal. Choose a district office and an arrival time window, and keep your booking confirmation with you.

Tip: Werahera and the other online-method offices are the busiest. Booking ahead means you are not pushed behind applicants who have a confirmed slot.

Gather Your Documents

Assemble your current driving license, NIC or passport, your NTMI medical certificate, and a completed application form using the checklist above.

Attend the DMT Office and Complete Verification

At the office, your documents are checked at a verification counter and you are issued an automated queue token (Normal or Same-Day, depending on your chosen service).

Biometric Capture at the Counter

When your token is called, an officer re-checks your documents, then captures your fingerprint, photograph, and digital signature for the new smart card.

Pay the renewal fee

Go to the cashier counters and pay when your number is called. The amount depends on the service you chose. See the total cost table in the fees section. If your license has lapsed, the LKR 500-per-year surcharge is added here.

Collect Your Renewed License

For Same-Day Service, wait for the card to print and collect it the same visit from the issuing counter. For Normal Service, collection timing depends on the office's current processing backlog.

Lost or Damaged Driving License

What do I do if my driving license is lost or damaged?

DMT issues a duplicate license for the rest of your current validity period. The steps are:

If the license is lost, lodge a complaint at your police station and get a copy of it. DMT asks for a copy of the complaint lodged within 6 months of the loss.
Book a DMT appointment on the DMT Appointments Portal.
Bring the police complaint copy (lost license), your NIC or valid passport with your NIC number, and the damaged or defaced license if you still have it. Pay the duplicate fee below.

Duplicate license (Charges for Services, item 7)	Normal Service	Same-Day Service
Duplicate for the existing validity period, item 7(a)	LKR 2,800	LKR 4,000
Duplicate because the license was lost, item 7(b)	LKR 7,800	LKR 9,000
If the license has also lapsed, item 7(c)	LKR 500 for each lapsed year, or part of a year	(no Same-Day rate)

Source: DMT, Duplicate Driving License and Change of Particulars (id=50); DMT Charges for Services, Schedule I item 7 (id=85). Both checked 27 Sep 2026.

Where to Renew & Appointment Requirements

You don't have to renew at Werahera. Werahera and the district offices below use the online method, which prints your smart card on-site. Book an appointment on the DMT Appointments Portal before you visit any of them.