The Telangana Transport Department will let applicants take the learner’s licence (LLR) test from home on a computer or laptop, without visiting a Regional Transport Office (RTO). The online test runs on the Centre’s Sarathi portal with AI-based facial recognition and remote monitoring, and the department is expected to launch it formally within a week, reports on 3 November 2026 said.
Telangana has joined the Sarathi facility introduced by the central government and decided to adopt the new system. The move adds to the state’s growing use of face-matching technology in public services, after the Telangana CID’s face-search app and digital case tools were rolled out last month.
How the Telangana learner’s licence test from home works
Under the current process, applicants pay the fee on the transport department’s portal, book a slot and sit the test on a computer at an RTO. In the new model, they take the same test from home at the date and time of their booked slot.
- When the applicant logs in, the system scans the face through a webcam and matches it with the photograph submitted with the application.
- A liveness check asks the candidate to smile five times and blink five times, so a printed photo or a recorded video cannot be used.
- The test stops and is recorded as a violation if another person enters the frame or the applicant moves away from the camera.
- Web searches and other applications or windows are blocked while the test is in progress.
What happens if facial verification fails
Applicants whose online verification fails because of technical glitches can still take the test at an RTO. Those with non-eKYC applications verify with an OTP, while eKYC applicants verify with fingerprints, and both then enter a PIN given by the RTO officer to start the test.
Once the test ends, the score and result appear on screen. Candidates who clear the qualifying marks get the learner’s licence approved automatically and can download it as a PDF on their phones, carrying a digital signature and a QR code. Similar AI identity checks are already used in travel, with Digi Yatra’s face-based boarding now in international trials.
Why it matters for citizen services in Telangana
The shift removes one of the few transport services that still needed a physical visit, which should ease crowding at RTOs and save travel time for applicants. It builds on a decade of digital reforms in the department, from the Telangana app that put vehicle papers and driving licences on phones to leadership changes such as K Ilambarithi’s appointment as Transport Commissioner. Applicants can find learner’s licence services on the national Sarathi Parivahan portal.
Key takeaways
- Telangana will offer the learner’s licence test online from home through the Sarathi portal.
- AI facial recognition and liveness checks confirm identity and monitor the candidate during the test.
- Successful candidates get a digitally signed, QR-coded learner’s licence PDF, with an RTO fallback if verification fails.
FAQ
When will the online learner’s licence test start in Telangana?
The transport department is expected to launch the facility formally within a week of 3 November 2026.
What do applicants need for the test from home?
A computer or laptop with a working webcam and a booked test slot on the transport department’s portal.
What if face matching does not work?
Applicants can take the test at an RTO after OTP or fingerprint verification and a PIN from the RTO officer.
Featured image: Telangana Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar at his office in Hyderabad. Photo: Batthini Vinay Kumar Goud / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)