Buying a taxi is only half the job — to legally carry passengers for hire you also need a commercial (transport) driving licence and a PSV (Public Service Vehicle) badge. Driving a taxi without them invites fines and can void your insurance claim. This guide covers eligibility, documents, cost and the full process for 2026.
What Is a PSV Badge?
A PSV badge is an authorisation issued by the RTO that certifies you are permitted to drive a public service vehicle — a taxi, auto or bus that carries passengers for hire. It is separate from, and in addition to, your commercial driving licence.
Eligibility Requirements
- A valid commercial (transport) driving licence for the relevant vehicle class.
- Minimum age, usually 20 years (varies by state).
- Minimum education, often 8th standard pass, in states that require it.
- A medical fitness certificate.
- A clean record — serious traffic or criminal convictions can lead to rejection.
Documents & Application Process
- Hold or first obtain a commercial driving licence (LMV-transport or the class matching your vehicle).
- Apply for the PSV badge at your local RTO with the prescribed form.
- Submit proof of licence, address, age, education and passport photographs.
- Provide a medical fitness certificate and, where required, a police verification.
- Pay the badge fee and complete any training or test the state mandates.
Cost & Renewal
PSV badge fees are modest — typically a few hundred rupees — but vary by state. The badge must be renewed periodically along with your commercial licence. Keep both current: driving a taxi with an expired badge or licence can lead to penalties and can jeopardise an insurance claim after an accident. Once your paperwork is in order, browse verified taxis on Buy Sell Taxi and start earning.
Getting Your Commercial Driving Licence First
The PSV badge cannot be applied for until you hold a valid commercial (transport) driving licence. If you currently only have a private (LMV) licence, you must first pass an endorsement test at the RTO, which typically requires completing a set number of hours at a government-approved driving training centre and clearing a separate driving test for transport vehicles. This step alone can take 4–6 weeks depending on your state, so start it well before you plan to begin driving a taxi.
State-Wise Variations & Common Rejection Reasons
Requirements and processing times differ by state — some, like Maharashtra and Karnataka, mandate a short in-person interview or verification at the RTO, while others process PSV badges primarily through document submission. Common reasons applications get rejected or delayed include an expired or mismatched address proof, an incomplete medical certificate, unresolved traffic challans on the applicant's existing licence, and missing police verification where the state requires it. Double-check every document against the RTO's current checklist before applying to avoid resubmission delays.
PSV Badge in Maharashtra – Mumbai, Pune & Aggregator Rules
Maharashtra enforces the PSV badge more visibly than most states — Mumbai and Pune RTOs require it for kaali-peeli taxis, autos and app-cab drivers alike, and aggregators ask for the badge number at driver onboarding. Apply at your local RTO (for example Tardeo or Andheri in Mumbai, Sangam Bridge in Pune) with your transport-class licence, medical certificate and photographs; the RTO may call you for a short in-person verification before issuing the badge, and the badge must be worn or displayed while on duty.
How to Apply for a PSV Badge Online
- Go to the Sarathi portal (sarathi.parivahan.gov.in), choose your state, and open Driving Licence services.
- Select the "Issue of PSV Badge to a Driver" service — it is listed as item 4 under Services on Driving Licence — and enter your commercial (transport) licence number.
- Fill the application, upload photographs, the medical certificate (Form 1-A) and address proof, and pay the fee online.
- Book an RTO slot if your state requires biometrics or in-person verification.
- Track the application in the same portal — the badge is couriered or collected at the RTO counter.
- RTOs without the online module still accept the same application over the counter.
"Issue of PSV Badge to a Driver" – What That Sarathi Option Means
A lot of drivers search for this exact phrase because it is the wording they saw on screen. It is not a separate scheme, a different badge or a new licence — it is simply the name Sarathi gives the service, listed as item 4 under Services on Driving Licence (the menu shown as "DL Services (Replace of DL/Others)"). Choosing it adds the PSV endorsement to the transport licence you already hold. There is no standalone "PSV licence": the badge always rides on an existing commercial DL.
- Fill the applicant and request details, starting with your driving licence number and date of birth.
- Upload documents, if your state asks for them at this stage.
- Upload photograph and signature — applicable only in certain states.
- Pay the fee online.
- Verify the payment status.
- Print the receipt and keep it until the badge is issued.
Two things trip applicants up. First, Sarathi only displays the services your licence is actually eligible for once it has accepted your DL number — so if "Issue of PSV Badge to a Driver" is missing from your list, the cause is almost always that your licence is still private (LMV) rather than transport class, and the endorsement has to come first. Second, select the RTO whose jurisdiction covers your present address, not the one that originally issued the licence. The driving-test slot-booking stage you may read about applies only to Additional Endorsement to DL (AEDL), not to the badge. If you ever need to give the badge up, the same menu carries "Surrender of COV(s)/PSV Badge(s)" as item 14, and several states run an Online PSV Badge Test from the Driving Licence menu.
PSV Badge Fees and Documents – What Delhi Actually Charges
Most fee guidance for the badge is vague, so here is one state in full. The Delhi Transport Department sets the fee for issue of a driver badge at ₹200, and a duplicate badge at the same ₹200. That is the badge alone — the real money and time go into the transport licence, the medical and the training certificate sitting behind it. Delhi asks for the following with a new badge application:
- Application in Form L.CON.A.
- Self-attested residence proof.
- Valid medical certificate in Form 1A.
- Police antecedents verification.
- Attested copy of a valid (transport-class) driving licence.
- PSV badge training certificate.
- Self-attested 8th class pass certificate for auto-rickshaw and LMV; 10th class pass for the HMV category.
A duplicate badge needs much the same set plus an FIR or NCR for the lost badge. Fees and the education bar do vary by state, so treat Delhi's ₹200 as a useful benchmark rather than a national rate and check your own RTO's list before paying. One rule that is not state-specific, and that drivers are fined for ignoring: the badge is meant to be worn, not filed away — Delhi's rules require the driver of a public service vehicle to display a metal or plastic badge on the left chest while on duty.