Independent guide by India Customer Care · Not the Parivahan government website · We never ask for your licence number, vehicle number, Aadhaar or OTP. Official services: parivahan.gov.in
Update Mobile Number on Driving Licence and RC Online
The mobile number on your driving licence is changed on Sarathi (Others → Mobile Number Update), and the number on your vehicle RC on VAHAN. Both are online and no fee is shown on the official pages. With Aadhaar OTP the RC update is instant and needs no RTO visit; without Aadhaar you apply online and then visit the RTO. Update the licence and every vehicle separately.
- Licence
- Sarathi: Others → Mobile Number Update
- Vehicle RC
- VAHAN: Mobile number update
- Fee
- None shown on the official pages
- RTO visit
- Only on the route without Aadhaar
- Difficulty
- Easy
On this page
Why should the right number be on your licence and RC, and is there a deadline?
The number recorded on Sarathi and VAHAN is the one the transport department uses for OTPs when you apply for online services such as renewal, duplicates or address change. It is also where alerts about your vehicle can reach you. With an old number you may get stuck at the OTP step.
Transport departments ask licence holders and vehicle owners to update their mobile numbers online on VAHAN and Sarathi, without visiting the RTO. We found no national deadline, and no rule that suspends a licence or RC because the number is old. Treat messages that threaten suspension with caution, especially ones with links, and update only on Sarathi or VAHAN.
Some states have run their own drives. For example, Nagaland's transport department (March 2025) directed holders and owners to update their numbers within a month. Check your state transport department's notices.
What do you need before you start?
Driving licence (Sarathi)
- Licence number, typed exactly as printed on the card.
- Date of birth and the licence issue date.
- The state of your last transaction: where the licence was issued, or last renewed or changed.
- The phone you want to use, and your Aadhaar-linked phone if you verify with Aadhaar.
Vehicle RC (VAHAN)
- Registration number and the full chassis number (the form also asks for its last 5 characters).
- Engine number, registration date and the registration or fitness valid-upto date. All are printed on the RC.
- For the Aadhaar route: the registered owner's Aadhaar number and the phone linked to that Aadhaar.
- For the route without Aadhaar: owner's name, father's or husband's name, address, and scans of your documents.
How do you update the mobile number online?
YouSarathi / VAHAN / RTOOTP or waiting
- Licence: open Sarathi → Others → Mobile Number Update. Vehicle: open VAHAN → Mobile number update
- Enter the licence or vehicle details exactly as printed
- Verifying with Aadhaar OTP?No: VAHAN route without Aadhaar, then RTO visit
- Enter the OTP sent to your Aadhaar-linked phone
- Check the name and details, then confirm the update
- The portal confirms the new number
Driving licence on Sarathi
- Open sarathi.parivahan.gov.in. Use the Update Your Mobile Number → Sarathi link on the home page, or choose your state and then Others → Mobile Number Update.
- Enter your licence number, date of birth, licence issue date and the state of your last transaction, then the captcha.
- Follow the verification the portal asks for. In most states it is Aadhaar-based, so keep your Aadhaar-linked phone with you.
- Enter the new number and confirm.
✔ You'll know it worked when Sarathi shows a success message, and later OTPs for licence services reach the new number.
Open Sarathi Mobile Number Update (official) sarathi.parivahan.gov.in
Vehicle RC on VAHAN
With Aadhaar OTP (no RTO visit)
- Open vahan.parivahan.gov.in/mobileupdate, or go to parivahan.gov.in → Online Services → Vehicle Related Services, enter the registration number and choose Mobile number update.
- Enter the registration number and the last 5 characters of the chassis number, then verify.
- Choose Aadhaar OTP, enter the owner's Aadhaar number and get the OTP on the Aadhaar-linked phone.
- Enter the vehicle details: chassis number, engine number, registration date and valid-upto date.
- Enter the name as in Aadhaar and the mobile number linked to Aadhaar, agree and verify.
- Check the owner name and old number shown, then choose Update Mobile Number.
✔ You'll know it worked when the portal shows "Mobile number has been updated successfully".
Without Aadhaar (application and RTO visit)
- Open the same VAHAN mobile update page and choose your state and district.
- Enter the vehicle details from the RC and show the details.
- Enter the owner's name, father's or husband's name, address and the new mobile number, and complete the OTP step.
- Upload the documents asked for and submit. Save the receipt.
- The portal tells you to visit the RTO. Take the originals and the receipt.
✔ You'll know it worked when the RTO approves it and the new number shows on your next VAHAN service.
Open VAHAN mobile update (official) vahan.parivahan.gov.in
Have more than one vehicle? Update each registration separately on VAHAN, and the licence separately on Sarathi.
Which phone gets the OTP?
| Route | OTP goes to | Do you need the old number? |
|---|---|---|
| VAHAN with Aadhaar OTP | The phone linked to the owner's Aadhaar | No |
| VAHAN without Aadhaar | The portal sends an OTP during the application; the RTO checks your documents | No, but an RTO visit is needed |
| Sarathi (licence) | Depends on the verification your state's page asks for; usually Aadhaar-based | Not with Aadhaar verification |
On the VAHAN Aadhaar route, the number that gets saved is your Aadhaar-linked number. To use a different number, change it in Aadhaar first.
What about company vehicles, a deceased owner or an old record?
Vehicle owned by a company or firm
A company has no Aadhaar, so the Aadhaar OTP route does not fit. Use the route without Aadhaar, or ask the registering RTO what authorisation it needs from the firm.
The registered owner has died
Don't update the number with your own Aadhaar: VAHAN rejects an application authenticated with someone else's Aadhaar, and the fee for that service is not refunded. First transfer the vehicle by succession (Form 31, within 3 months of the death). The new owner's details are then recorded.
Old licence or RC not found online
If Sarathi or VAHAN says the details are not found, the old record may never have been added to the national database. Ask the RTO that issued it to add it (a "backlog entry"), then update the number.
What can go wrong, and how do you fix it?
| Your situation | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Aadhaar OTP not received | Aadhaar has an old number or none | Update the number in Aadhaar first, or use the VAHAN route without Aadhaar. |
| "Details not found" on Sarathi | Licence number typed in a different format, or the wrong state chosen | Type it exactly as printed and choose the state of your last transaction. If it still fails, ask the RTO. |
| Name does not match Aadhaar | Initials, spelling or a changed surname | Use the route without Aadhaar, or correct the name in Aadhaar or on the RC first. |
| Chassis or engine number not accepted | A data-entry error in the VAHAN record | Ask the registering RTO to correct the record after checking the vehicle and documents. |
| Updated the RC, but licence OTPs still go to the old phone | Licence and RC are separate | Do the Sarathi update as well. |
| Another service is blocked | A pending challan can stop licence and RC services | Check and clear it on echallan.parivahan.gov.in, then try again. |
| The page does not load or freezes | Old browser | Use a current Chrome, Edge or Firefox on a computer. |
How do you spot a fake "update your number" message?
- Official pages are on parivahan.gov.in (sarathi.parivahan.gov.in, vahan.parivahan.gov.in). Sarathi itself warns about fraudulent websites and apps.
- No fee is shown for the online update. A message that asks you to pay to "keep your licence active" is not official.
- Never install an app (APK file) sent on WhatsApp or SMS, and never share an OTP with a caller.
- Lost money? Call 1930 or report at cybercrime.gov.in at once.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a deadline to update my mobile number on my licence?
We found no national deadline. Transport departments advise updating it, and some states, such as Nagaland, have set their own drives.
Will my licence be suspended if I don't update it?
No rule we found suspends a licence for an old mobile number. Treat messages that threaten suspension with caution, and update only on Sarathi or VAHAN.
Is Aadhaar compulsory for the update?
No. Aadhaar authentication for transport services is voluntary. On VAHAN there is a route without Aadhaar that ends with an RTO visit.
I lost my old SIM. Can I still update?
Yes. The Aadhaar OTP route does not need the old number; the OTP goes to your Aadhaar-linked phone.
Is there a fee?
No fee is shown on the official Sarathi and VAHAN update pages.
Do I need to visit the RTO?
Not with Aadhaar OTP. On the VAHAN route without Aadhaar, yes: the portal tells you to visit the RTO after you apply.
I have a car and a bike. Do I update both?
Yes. Update each registration on VAHAN, and your licence on Sarathi.
Can I add an email address too?
We did not find an official option to add or change an email address on the licence or RC.
I got an SMS with a link to update my number. Is it real?
Open Sarathi or VAHAN yourself instead of the link. Never pay, install an app or share an OTP because of a message.
Sources
- Sarathi – Mobile Number Update: form fields (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- Sarathi – state services menu (Delhi): Others → Mobile Number Update (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- VAHAN – citizen services: contactless services, rejection for another person's Aadhaar (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- Transport Department, Delhi – mobile number update notice (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- Transport Department, Meghalaya – VAHAN mobile update through Aadhaar (manual) (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- Transport Department, Chhattisgarh – mobile number update flow: with and without Aadhaar (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- PIB – 58 contactless services with voluntary Aadhaar authentication (16 Sep 2022) (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- DIPR Nagaland – transport department notice (5 Mar 2025) (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- Ministry of Road Transport and Highways – SOP on e-challans (17 Dec 2018): pending challan stops licence and RC services (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
- mParivahan – transfer of ownership: transfer on death (accessed 25 Oct 2026)
Page history: 25 Oct 2026: first published. 25 Oct 2026: sources limited to government websites.