Traffic rulesBangladesh

The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) administers learner licences, driving tests, driving-licence issue, renewal, replacement and licence records under the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges.

The principal framework is the Road Transport Act 2018, supported by the Road Transport Rules 2022, BRTA procedures, official forms and later government directions.

Applications are handled through the BRTA Service Portal (BSP) and the competent BRTA circle office or examination centre linked to the applicant’s address and selected service.

A circle office is a local BRTA licensing and vehicle-administration office. The responsible office depends on the applicant’s permanent or properly documented current address.

Yes. BSP supports learner-licence applications, smart-card or e-driving-licence services, renewal, duplicate applications, fee payment, result checking and document verification.

Yes. A person may drive only the class or category of motor vehicle authorised by the licence. A learner may drive only under the conditions of the learner licence.

No. The law prohibits both driving without an effective licence and permitting another person to drive without the required licence.

No. A driver should renew before expiry. A limited administrative period may affect renewal fees, but it should not be treated as permission to continue driving with an expired licence.

Yes. A full BRTA driving licence is valid throughout Bangladesh, subject to its class, professional or non-professional status, restrictions and validity dates.

Yes. BRTA may restrict a driver to corrective lenses, an adapted vehicle, a particular vehicle design or another condition supported by the medical and competency assessment.

Yes. BRTA provides QR-verifiable e-driving-licence documentation through BSP. The applicant must follow the current BRTA instructions on when the electronic document or physical card must be carried.

Yes. BSP provides driving-licence and QR-document verification services. Only official BRTA or BSP verification tools should be used for legal or employment checks.

A private-car applicant normally seeks a non-professional licence for the appropriate light motor-vehicle class. Bangladesh does not organise its domestic licences around the European category B label.

The minimum age is 18 years.

The Road Transport Act sets the minimum age at 21 years. Higher vehicle classes also require previous professional driving experience.

An applicant must have passed at least class eight or an equivalent level, unless a later legally effective exemption applies to a particular programme.

Yes. Physical and mental fitness are statutory conditions for licensing.

Yes. The learner or apprentice driving licence is the normal prerequisite for training and the driving-competency examination.

The applicant normally registers on BSP, completes the online application, selects the vehicle class and test location, uploads the required evidence and pays the prescribed fee.

For Bangladeshi applicants, the BSP account and application are normally linked to the National Identity Card. BRTA instructions may also refer to a birth certificate or passport in specific cases.

It may be required when the current address differs from the address recorded on the identity document. BRTA may request a utility bill or another accepted proof.

Yes. The applicant normally uploads the prescribed medical certificate completed by a registered doctor.

Yes. BSP specifies the image format, dimensions and file-size limit. Applicants should follow the current portal instructions rather than using an old paper-photo specification.

Yes. A learner application may cover one or two selected classes when the applicant meets the requirements and pays the applicable fee.

The BSP process links the learner licence to a scheduled competency-test date or appointment information. The applicant should check the printed or electronic learner document carefully.

Yes. BRTA warns that false information or forged evidence can result in cancellation of the learner and full licence and may lead to legal action.

Yes. The learner licence exists for supervised training, and the applicant must become competent in traffic law, road signs, vehicle control and safe driving before testing.

Yes. The government has introduced a reform requiring 60 hours of approved training. Because implementation arrangements and approved-centre procedures are evolving, applicants should confirm the current requirement with BRTA or the selected authorised training institution.

Yes. Older and still-published BRTA guidance refers to approximately two or three months of training before the test. The newer 60-hour requirement should be treated as the more specific reform where it has been implemented.

Not where certified training is required. Informal supervised practice can improve skill, but it does not replace a compulsory approved course or certificate.

It should cover traffic signs and signals, road markings, left-hand traffic, priority, overtaking, speed, stopping and parking, vulnerable road users, vehicle documents, accident duties and the Road Transport Act and Rules.

Candidates should understand basic controls, tyres, brakes, steering, lights, mirrors, indicators, fluid checks, safe loading and the warning signs of a mechanical defect.

Yes. BRTA and BSP publish traffic-sign guidance, a question bank, multiple-choice material and sample driving-test questions.

They may be useful for practice, but official BRTA material and the current law should take priority because unofficial answers can be outdated or incorrect.

Yes. The learner application may include the relevant classes, but the applicant must train and pass the test for each class shown.

Yes. A defective, unregistered or otherwise unlawful vehicle must not be used for training on a public road.

Yes. Field tests commonly assess controlled movement, reversing, parking, steering accuracy and observation.

No. Training should progress from basic control in a safe area to normal traffic only when the learner can operate the vehicle safely under supervision.

Ask the school for its current BRTA approval or registration details and verify them with BRTA before paying a large course fee.

BRTA conducts or supervises the driving-competency test through the designated examination centre and authorised examiners.

The standard process includes a written test, oral or viva test and practical field test.

The written component assesses traffic signs, road rules, safe-driving principles, basic vehicle knowledge and legal duties.

The examiner may ask the candidate to explain signs, signals, vehicle controls, safety checks, accident procedure and practical road-rule situations.

The field test assesses actual control of the relevant vehicle, observation, signalling, manoeuvring, reversing, parking and compliance with examiner instructions.

Yes. The candidate should bring the original or officially accepted learner document and every identity or appointment document stated by BRTA.

BRTA guidance specifically tells candidates to bring a pen for the written test. Candidates should also follow any later centre-specific instructions.

Yes. The vehicle, manoeuvres and technical questions must be appropriate to the class for which the applicant is being examined.

Yes. BRTA provides sample questions and a traffic-sign and driving-test guideline through its websites.

Not consistently. Candidates should rely on the current examination notice and examiner instructions rather than an unofficial fixed pass mark.

The successful applicant can proceed with the full driving-licence application, payment, document submission and biometric process.

The candidate must follow BRTA’s re-test procedure and obtain a new date where required. The learner document must still be valid for the re-test.

Yes. Cheating, impersonation, forged documents or outside assistance can invalidate the test and lead to administrative or criminal action.

Yes. BSP provides Driving Competency Test Committee result searches by examination type, branch, venue and date.

No. A learner licence is for supervised training and does not grant the same unrestricted right as a full licence.

Yes. Training must be conducted in a vehicle covered by the learner licence.

Yes. A learner is not exempt from traffic signals, speed limits, helmet or seat-belt rules, road signs or safe-driving duties.

Yes. Learners must normally keep to the left and overtake on the right, subject to signs, road layout and lawful exceptions.

The vehicle should display the learner identification required by BRTA or the training-school rules. The exact marking and placement should be confirmed with the instructor.

A properly qualified instructor or other person legally permitted to supervise under the applicable BRTA rules should accompany the learner.

Only when permitted and safe. A training vehicle should not be used to carry unnecessary passengers or for commercial transport.

No. The learner must maintain full control and attention. Handheld phone use and other distractions are unsafe and may be unlawful.

Yes. The rider and any lawful passenger must use an approved helmet as required by the Road Transport Rules.

Only when the instructor considers it safe and suitable. Flooding, severe rain, poor visibility or mechanical defects are reasons to postpone or modify a lesson.

No. The vehicle must have the legally required registration, fitness, tax, insurance and other documents applicable to its use.

Both learner and instructor have responsibilities. The learner must obey instructions and traffic law, while the instructor must not allow unsafe or unauthorised driving.

The test must be taken in a vehicle appropriate to the licence class. The candidate or training institution may need to provide an acceptable test vehicle under local arrangements.

Yes. The candidate must start, stop, steer, change gear where applicable and control speed smoothly.

Yes. Reversing, parking and accurate movement through a marked course are common elements of the field test.

Yes. Hill starting or controlled movement on a gradient may be included where the examination facility provides it.

Yes. The candidate must observe effectively, use mirrors and give timely signals before moving, turning, changing position or stopping.

Yes. Instructions must be followed unless doing so would be unsafe or unlawful; in that case the candidate should stop safely and explain.

Yes. Loss of control, collision risk, ignoring a signal or requiring intervention can result in immediate failure.

Not necessarily. The seriousness, frequency, location and the candidate’s safe recovery are more important than one minor stall.

No. The candidate must still complete the full-licence application, pay the fee, provide required evidence and complete biometrics.

Only when BRTA has issued an effective full or provisional electronic authorisation that legally permits independent driving. A pass result alone should not be treated as a licence.

The applicant should first contact the responsible BRTA circle or examination authority with the result, receipt and learner details. Formal review or appeal routes depend on the decision involved.

No. Fees should be paid only through official BRTA channels. Bribery, brokers and fabricated passes expose the applicant to fraud and legal consequences.

Bangladesh does not generally use the same formal novice or probationary stage found in some other countries. The first licence is nevertheless subject to all ordinary restrictions, demerit points and medical conditions.

There is no generally published national P-plate requirement equivalent to the systems used in some countries. Learner markings are different and apply during training.

No separate nationwide novice speed limit is generally published. A new driver must obey the posted or legally applicable limit and reduce speed for conditions.

Yes, when the licence covers the vehicle and no sign or local restriction prohibits it. Inexperience is a reason to obtain further supervised practice before difficult journeys.

Yes, within the vehicle’s lawful seating and loading limits. Carrying passengers for hire or reward may require a professional licence and other permits.

No. A non-professional licence is not a substitute for the professional licence and public-transport permissions required for paid or commercial driving.

No. Motorcycle entitlement must be shown on the licence.

Yes. A full licence carries the statutory point allocation regardless of how recently it was issued.

Yes. The driver should carry the legally accepted physical or electronic evidence specified by BRTA and be able to present it to an authorised officer.

Yes. Corrective lenses, vehicle adaptation and class restrictions apply whenever the person drives.

Yes. Additional training in night driving, rain, highways, dense urban traffic and emergency braking can substantially improve safety.

A non-professional licence covers private driving within the authorised classes. A professional licence is required for driving as an occupation or operating transport vehicles in the circumstances prescribed by law.

The exact classification follows the current Rules and licence endorsement. BRTA’s published professional guidance historically distinguishes light vehicles below 2,500 kg for professional progression, while the Act also contains broader statutory vehicle definitions. The licence entry is decisive.

It is the entry professional licence stage for the applicable light vehicle class. The applicant must be at least 21, medically fit, trained and tested.

BRTA guidance requires at least three years’ use of a professional light licence before applying for the professional medium stage.

BRTA guidance requires at least three years’ use of a professional medium licence before applying for the professional heavy stage.

No. The normal progression is professional light, then medium after the required experience, then heavy after further experience.

The Road Transport Act allows a heavy-licence holder to drive medium and light classes, subject to the exact endorsements and any specialised-vehicle restrictions.

No. Motorcycle entitlement must be separately authorised.

Yes. Motorised three-wheelers and similar vehicles are treated as a distinct class or endorsement under the BRTA classification system.

Yes. Special vehicle types may require a distinct class or endorsement even when their weight resembles another class.

Yes. The Act provides for an additional authorisation to drive public transport. A professional licence alone does not replace every public-service, route or vehicle permit.

Yes. Paid passenger or goods transport normally requires the correct professional class and all additional statutory permissions.

Current BRTA instructions require professional applicants to upload or submit a drug-screening or dope-test report where specified.

BRTA’s published procedures have required a police investigation or verification report for professional licensing. Applicants should check the current BSP checklist because the process can change.

Yes. BRTA’s renewal procedure requires professional licence holders to pass a practical test before renewal.

No. Both the driver and employer must ensure that the licence and every required permit remain effective.

No. The Act prohibits employing or allowing a person to drive when the licence is absent, suspended, withdrawn or cancelled.

Transport employment is also regulated by labour and road-transport provisions. Employers should provide the documents required for the worker and vehicle operation.

Yes. The holder may apply for class addition or change, complete any learner, training, medical and testing requirements and have the new class recorded.

BRTA Form 4(b) is used for renewal, duplicate issue, class change or addition, licence-type change, address change and information correction.

Yes. A person who teaches driving professionally must meet the instructor-licensing requirements and pass the relevant BRTA assessment.

Yes. Employers and vehicle owners should verify the licence class, professional status, validity, restrictions and online record before allowing a person to drive.

The applicant submits the prescribed full-licence application through the current BRTA process, provides the pass evidence and required documents, pays the fee and completes biometrics.

BRTA collects a digital photograph, signature and fingerprints for the secure licence record and card.

BRTA normally sends an SMS or provides a BSP status update when printing and collection or delivery arrangements are complete.

BRTA provides electronic licence documentation under its e-driving-licence notifications. The applicant should use only the current QR-verifiable document and comply with its stated validity.

The current BRTA fee information identifies a 10-year validity period for the ordinary non-professional licence.

The current BRTA fee information identifies a 5-year validity period for a professional licence.

Yes. BRTA may impose a shorter period or conditions where the applicant’s health requires earlier review.

Yes. The Act permits an application before the validity period ends, subject to the prescribed fee and conditions.

BRTA’s fee procedure distinguishes applications made within 15 days after expiry from later applications. This affects the renewal charge but should not be treated as a general right to drive on an expired licence.

BRTA applies the prescribed late charge, commonly calculated for each year or part of the overdue period under the published fee schedule.

The current checklist should be followed. BRTA’s updated procedure specifically identifies the medical certificate for professional renewal, while older pages listed it more broadly.

Yes. A registered doctor’s medical certificate is required.

Yes. A practical competency test is required as part of professional renewal.

BRTA may require the holder to attend the circle office for a new photograph, signature and fingerprints.

The holder should make a General Diary report where required, obtain traffic clearance if requested, submit the duplicate application, pay the fee and provide the required photograph or electronic files.

Report the theft promptly and follow the duplicate-licence procedure. The report helps prevent misuse of the missing document.

Yes. Apply for a duplicate or replacement and surrender the damaged card when BRTA requires it.

Use the BRTA address-change or Form 4(b) procedure and provide accepted evidence of the new address.

Submit the correction application with the official civil-status, identity or educational evidence supporting the change.

Yes. BRTA can correct the licence record where an endorsement is erroneous, surrendered, medically restricted or legally withdrawn.

Use the official BSP fee calculator or the newest BRTA fee notice. Older BRTA pages remain online and may show superseded amounts.

No unofficial payment guarantees lawful priority. Applicants should pay only official charges and use BSP status, BRTA counters and published complaint channels.

A short-term visitor should carry a valid national driving licence together with the appropriate International Driving Permit (IDP) and passport. Recognition can depend on the issuing country and the visitor’s status.

No. It is a translation and international recognition document that must accompany the valid domestic licence on which it is based.

The period depends on the convention document, the national licence, immigration status and Bangladeshi recognition. Some official foreign-government guidance states that visitors may drive for up to 12 months, but the shorter validity always controls.

An IDP or official translation is particularly important when the licence is not readily understandable in Bangladesh.

Yes. Foreign nationals resident in Bangladesh can apply through BRTA and should obtain the current foreign-applicant checklist directly from the competent circle office.

No. Bangladesh does not publish a universal exchange scheme covering every country. BRTA may require local application, medical evidence and competency testing.

Earlier licensing law allowed limited test exemptions for holders of certain valid foreign licences. Applicants should not rely on that historical rule without written confirmation under the current Act and Rules.

The Automobile Association of Bangladesh (AAB) states that it is the organisation authorised to issue IDPs in Bangladesh.

The applicant must hold a valid Bangladesh driving licence and submit the AAB application, identity and travel documents, photographs and prescribed fee.

No. An IDP is based on a valid full domestic driving licence.

No. It does not replace the Bangladesh domestic licence within the country.

No. Countries recognise different convention formats and may impose their own residence, age, translation and rental requirements.

Yes. Confirm the required IDP convention, validity period and vehicle classes with the destination authority or embassy before travel.

No. The domestic licence must remain valid, and the IDP cannot extend beyond it.

Yes. Section 11 of the Road Transport Act allocates 12 points to every full driving licence.

The Bangladeshi system starts with 12 points and deducts points for specified offences.

No. The statutory allocation applies to driving licences other than learner licences.

They include serious or repeated traffic violations such as disobeying signals, prohibited overtaking, failing to stop before entering a main road, speeding, intoxicated driving and other offences prescribed by the Rules.

Yes. In 2026 BRTA began automated deductions through the Road Safety Penalty System, linking recorded offences to the driving-licence record.

Loss of points can lead to suspension and the exhaustion of all 12 points can lead to cancellation, in addition to the fine, imprisonment or disqualification attached to the offence.

Yes. A point deduction is an additional licensing consequence and does not replace the statutory penalty.

Yes. BRTA may suspend, withdraw or cancel a licence where the holder is physically or mentally unfit, intoxicated, habitually offending or otherwise unfit to drive.

Yes. Breaching a condition printed on the licence or an applicable BRTA order can result in suspension, withdrawal or cancellation.

No. A person whose licence is suspended, withdrawn or cancelled must not drive any motor vehicle.

Authorised enforcement officers may inspect documents and take the measures permitted by the Act, Rules and criminal procedure. The driver should obtain an official receipt or case reference for any retained document.

Yes. Serious offences may result in court-imposed disqualification as well as BRTA administrative action.

Yes. The Road Transport Act provides criminal penalties for driving without the required effective licence.

Yes. Forgery, alteration or use of a fraudulent driving licence can lead to substantial fines, imprisonment and cancellation.

No. Renewal or duplicate issue does not cancel an active suspension, withdrawal, disqualification or point consequence.

Use the official BSP licence checker and contact BRTA for the demerit or enforcement record where it is not fully displayed online.

No. Bangladesh prohibits driving in an intoxicated condition. The safest and legally defensible rule is zero alcohol before driving.

The law is framed around intoxication and inability to exercise proper control rather than a commonly published general BAC allowance for ordinary drivers. Drivers should therefore treat the limit as zero.

Yes. Driving while impaired by narcotics, sedatives or another drug is prohibited and can also trigger demerit points and licence action.

Yes. A medicine that causes drowsiness, blurred vision, poor coordination or slow reactions can make the driver medically unfit even when it was lawfully prescribed.

It is used to identify drug use or dependency that could make professional driving unsafe and to support the higher medical standard expected of occupational drivers.

A registered medical doctor completes and signs the prescribed BRTA medical form.

It covers vision, colour recognition, night blindness, hearing, limb impairment, alcohol or drug addiction signs and general physical fitness.

Yes. A person may be licensed when the required visual standard is achieved with corrective lenses, but the condition must be obeyed while driving.

Yes. The doctor and BRTA must consider whether the applicant can identify the colours and signals necessary for safe driving.

Yes. The Road Transport Rules provide a process for applicants with disabilities. BRTA may test the person in an adapted or specially designed vehicle and restrict the licence accordingly.

Yes. Where there are reasonable grounds to doubt fitness, BRTA can require fresh medical evidence and suspend or revoke the licence if the holder is unsafe.

Stop driving immediately and obtain medical advice. Driving should resume only when the condition has been assessed and any BRTA reporting or review requirement has been completed.

Yes. Severe fatigue impairs attention and reaction time and can make continued driving dangerous even without alcohol or drugs.

The holder should notify BRTA or seek formal advice when a new condition affects the medical information on which the licence was issued or creates a risk to safe control.

This page was last reviewed on 4 August 2026.

This page was compiled from the Road Transport Act 2018, Road Transport Rules 2022, BRTA and BSP licensing pages, official forms and verification services, current government announcements and the authorised national IDP issuer.

The legal and administrative material was compared, reorganised and rewritten into a practical question-and-answer format. AI-assisted tools were used to help research, structure and draft the content.

The final text was checked for conflicts between older BRTA pages, the 2018 Act, the 2022 Rules and reforms announced or implemented in 2026.

Some older BRTA pages remain publicly accessible and still contain figures from the repealed Motor Vehicles Ordinance or previous fee schedules. Where they conflict, the Road Transport Act 2018 and the newest BRTA instructions should be followed.

Principal sources

• BRTA: driving-licence eligibility and procedure
• BRTA: current process, documents, fees and professional progression
• BRTA Service Portal
• BSP: driving-licence services and procedures
• BSP: traffic signs and driving-test guidelines
• BSP: driving-competency test results
• BSP: e-driving-licence QR verification
• Road Transport Act 2018
• Road Transport and Highways Division: Road Transport Rules 2022
• BRTA: driving-licence forms
• BRTA medical certificate form
• Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha: 60-hour training reform
• Automobile Association of Bangladesh: International Driving Permit

This website is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with BRTA, the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, an examination committee, driving school or the Automobile Association of Bangladesh.

The information is general guidance and does not replace legislation or instructions issued for a specific application.