What to Do if Your DL is Stolen and Used in Sarathi

What to Do if Your DL is Stolen and Used in Sarathi

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It’s a stressful moment — you discover that your driving licence (DL) is missing, and worse yet, someone might be using it via the Sarathi portal. Maybe your physical card was stolen, or someone got hold of your licence number and is acting on your record. This isn’t just annoying — it can cause penalties, fines, or even legal problems for you. So let’s walk through what you should do immediately, and how to protect yourself and fix the situation.Parivahan Sewa

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Why This Happens & What the Risks Are

When a DL is stolen or mis‑used via Sarathi, the problems include:

  • Someone impersonates you, drives with your licence number, leads to traffic violations or fines you didn’t cause.
  • Your licence status could be flagged for offences or misuse which you’ll need to clear later.
  • You may face insurance or legal hassle if someone uses your licence in a way that breaks law.
  • The system shows the DL active but controlled by someone else, making your legit use difficult.
    In short: a stolen DL opens you up to real risks — so acting fast is key YOU CAN ALSO READ: Sarathi Upload Failures: How to Fix Common Errors

What You Should Do Immediately

Since the original is compromised, you’ll want to secure a fresh licence:

File a Police Report (FIR)

If your physical DL is stolen, or you strongly suspect misuse:

Ask for a copy of the FIR or acknowledgement — you’ll need it for the next steps.
This step is essential to protect you legally and show you acted promptly.

Visit your local police station and lodge an FIR (First Information Report). Mention that your DL is missing/stolen and request it be recorded as such.

Check Your DL & Sarathi Record Online

Log in to your state portal via Sarathi and check your DL status: any pending offences, changes, updates you didn’t make?

If you spot anything odd (new vehicle class added, address changed, or fake application submitted) note down date/time and details.
This gives you clarity and evidence of misuse

Apply for a Duplicate Licence

Since the original is compromised, you’ll want to secure a fresh licence:

Ask for your old licence to be marked “surrendered” or “cancelled”. This helps prevent further misuse.

On Sarathi portal select “Apply for Duplicate DL” (or equivalent service in your state). parivahanssewa.com+1

Upload your FIR copy, ID proof, address proof, pay applicable fee. Some states require you to visit RTO for verification. Shriram General Insurance+1

Inform the RTO / Transport Department

Contact your state RTO or transport department and inform them of the situation — that your DL has been stolen and you’ve applied for a duplicate.

Request them to block the old licence number or mark it as “lost/stolen”. This reduces the chance of illegal usage.

Seek confirmation in writing or email for your records

Preventive Steps for the Future

What to Do if Your DL is Stolen and Used in Sarathi
  • Keep a photo or scanned copy of your DL stored safely (offline/cloud) so you can show it’s yours without carrying the physical card all the time.
  • Secure your licence number and personal details. Don’t share them publicly or on unsecured sites.
  • Regularly check your Sarathi portal status for any unknown changes (address, vehicle class, offences).
  • Link your DL with identifiers like Aadhaar, biometric where available — stronger verification means harder misuse.
  • When you get your duplicate DL, treat the old number as invalid and destroy the old card if you recover it.

FAQs

No — once you report it stolen and apply for duplicate, the old number should be marked invalid and you shouldn’t drive using it.

If you’ve done the steps (FIR, inform RTO, apply duplicate) you have made a good defence. You’ll still need to follow up to clear offences attributed to your licence

It depends by state, but usually a few days to a few weeks after submission and verification

Many states allow online submission, but you may still need to visit for biometrics or verification

Use your application number in the Sarathi portal to check status via “Duplicate DL – Track Status”

Final Words


Yes — finding out your DL was stolen or misused is alarming. But by acting quickly: filing the FIR, applying for duplicate, informing your RTO, and keeping tabs on your record, you can fix the situation and protect yourself. Stay calm, follow the steps above, and you’ll be back on the road with peace of mind.
If you like, I can help you draft a template FIR/complaint letter for stolen DL that you can submit. Would you like that?

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