Driving Licence Categories in Pakistan: LTV After 3 Years, HTV and PSV Rules Under NHMP

Short answer: in Pakistan you cannot jump straight to a truck or bus licence. Under NHMP's licensing rules, a Light Transport Vehicle (LTV) licence needs a car or jeep licence held for 3 years. A Heavy Transport Vehicle (HTV) Category-B licence needs an LTV licence held for 3 years, and HTV Category-A needs Category-B for 1 more year. A Public Service Vehicle (PSV) endorsement needs one year in the class below it, and the minimum age for any PSV is 25. Licences last 5 years, PSV licences 3.

A young man in Sahiwal with a car licence wants to drive a Hiace or a loader for work. A driver in Karachi wants to move up to a 22 wheeler. Both ask the same thing: which licence do I need next, and how long must I wait? This guide lays out every driving licence category in Pakistan as NHMP's rules define them, with the years of experience each one needs.

We read NHMP's Drivers Licencing Authority Rules 2014, with their 2016 amendments, and the National Highways Safety Ordinance 2000 on the NHMP traffic rules page, and the fee sheet on the NHMP licensing portal, on 6 November 2026.

NHMP issues nine categories of licence and permit

Rule 4 of the Drivers Licencing Authority (DLA) Rules lists nine categories: learner permit, motorcycle or car or jeep, LTV, HTV, special person's modified vehicle, diplomats, foreigners, international driving permit, and agricultural and construction machinery.

The federal law describes the vehicle classes a licence can carry in section 7 of the National Highways Safety Ordinance 2000. They are:

• Motorcycle up to 80 cc, and motorcycle above 80 cc.
• Three wheeler, such as a rickshaw.
• Invalid person's carriage.
• Motor car or motor cab.
• Light transport vehicle, such as a van, pickup or small loader.
• Heavy transport vehicle, such as a truck, bus or trailer.
• Road construction machinery, and tractor or agricultural machinery.

The same section says a licence must state whether the holder may drive as a paid employee, and whether they may drive a public service vehicle. That is why a commercial driver needs more than a plain car licence.

Each heavier licence needs years on the one below it

The DLA Rules build a ladder. You move up one step at a time, and each step needs a set period on the licence before it. The licence you hold must also be valid, and a licence from another authority is checked with that authority first.

Put the ages and the waiting periods together and the earliest path looks like this, by our own working: a car licence at 18, an LTV at 21, HTV Category-B at 24 and HTV Category-A at 25. Nobody can hold a Category-A truck licence from NHMP before 25.

PSV endorsements come in four categories, A to D

Rule 12 says a Public Service Vehicle (PSV) licence is an endorsement added to a regular licence. It is what allows you to carry paying passengers. There are four categories, and each needs one year in the one below.

1. PSV Category-D, motor cab and taxi. Needs a motor car or jeep licence held for 1 year.
2. PSV Category-C, LTV with up to 8 passengers. Needs an LTV licence held for 1 year.
3. PSV Category-B, LTV with up to 22 passengers. Needs a PSV Category-C licence held for 1 year.
4. PSV Category-A, HTV with more than 22 passengers. Needs a PSV Category-B licence held for 1 year.

Passenger counts in these categories leave out the driver. Rule 6 adds one more condition: the minimum age for any PSV licence is 25. So even a taxi PSV, which needs only one year on a car licence, cannot be issued by NHMP before 25.

Licences last 5 years, and PSV licences 3

Rule 7 sets how long each licence lasts. Most licences are valid for five years. A PSV licence is valid for three years. An international driving permit lasts one year, and a foreigner's licence lasts as long as the holder's Pakistani visa.

Renewal brings medical checks for the heavier classes. Rule 17 says a fresh medical test is needed when renewing an LTV, HTV or PSV licence. Anyone above 60 needs a fresh medical test at every renewal, whatever the class.

Adding a new class to an existing licence is done on Form D. NHMP's Schedule I fee for an addition or endorsement of class is Rs 600, the same as a regular licence.

Punjab uses lower ages for transport licences

Provinces license most drivers under their own motor vehicle laws, and the ages are not identical. In Punjab, section 4 of the Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1965 sets 21 for a transport vehicle and 22 for a heavy transport vehicle. NHMP's rules set 21 for LTV and 24 for HTV.

NHMP's rules also say a licence issued by another licensing authority stays valid for the period printed on it. So a Punjab HTV licence holder can drive on the motorway. It is the issuing office's rules that decide who gets one.

For Punjab fees, see our LTV, HTV and PSV licence fee guide and our step by step HTV licence guide for Punjab. Our Punjab age limit guide covers the ages in full.

Common questions

How many years of car licence do I need for an LTV licence?

Three years under NHMP's rules. Rule 10 says an LTV applicant must hold a car or jeep licence that is at least three years old.

Can I get an HTV licence directly in Pakistan?

Not from NHMP. HTV Category-B needs an LTV licence held for three years, and HTV Category-A needs Category-B for one more year.

What is the difference between HTV-A and HTV-B?

HTV Category-B covers vehicles of up to 14 wheels. Category-A covers vehicles with more than 14 wheels, such as large trailers.

What is the minimum age for a PSV licence?

25, under rule 6 of NHMP's Drivers Licencing Authority Rules. Each PSV category also needs one year on the licence below it.

How long is a driving licence valid in Pakistan?

Five years for most NHMP licences, three years for a PSV licence and one year for an international driving permit.

Does a motorcycle licence let me drive a rickshaw?

No. The federal law lists the three wheeler as a separate class from the motorcycle. You need that class on your licence.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 6 November 2026. The categories, waiting periods, ages, validity and fees are from the NHMP Drivers Licencing Authority Rules 2014 with amendments, rules 4, 6, 7, 10 to 13, 17 and 20 and Schedule I. The vehicle classes are from section 7 of the National Highways Safety Ordinance 2000. The Punjab ages are from section 4 of the Provincial Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1965 on the Punjab Code site. The earliest ages are our own working from these rules.