More than 1.6 million Driving Licence Cards and Vehicle Registration Number Plates are still pending, a Parliamentary committee has been informed.
The backlog includes about 673,000 driving licence cards and 958,651 vehicle registration number plates.
Officials shared these figures at a recent meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Transport, Highways and Urban Development. Minister Bimal Rathnayake chaired the meeting.
673,000 Driving Licence Cards Pending
Around 673,000 driving licence cards remain pending because of shortages of printing equipment and blank cards.
Commissioner General of Motor Traffic, retired Air Vice Marshal Thushara Indunil Fernando, said the current stock of one million cards could run out by January 2027.
Authorities have awarded a new contract for two million cards. However, the first shipment should arrive only by the end of March 2027.
Officials are therefore seeking Cabinet approval to buy another 500,000 cards from the existing supplier.
Fernando said authorities expect to clear the driving licence card backlog by mid-2027.
Nearly 959,000 Number Plates Pending
Vehicle owners are facing another large backlog involving 958,651 registration number plates.
These applications built up between January 1, 2025, and March 9, 2026.
Fernando said authorities could clear the number plate backlog within seven to eight months. This would depend on giving the existing contractor the required production work.
What Officials Told to Act on Delays?
Minister Bimal Rathnayake instructed officials to take urgent steps to clear both backlogs.
He also called for improvements to the process used to issue driving licence cards and number plates.
For drivers and vehicle owners waiting for their documents, authorities now expect both backlogs to fall as production increases.
DMT Resumes Number Plate Printing – BusinessNews.LK
Motor Industry Public Notice Wheel
Last modified: October 17, 2026
