Guide7 min read17 views
Updated 9 November 2026 · Written by the Wahanaya.lk team
If you lose or damage your vehicle's revenue licence, first report it to the police, then apply for a duplicate at the Divisional Secretariat office linked to your vehicle's registered address, with the police complaint, CR book copy, insurance and NIC.
Report it to the police first, then apply for a duplicate at the Divisional Secretariat (DS) office linked to your vehicle's registered address. You cannot skip the police step — the duplicate application needs an original police complaint that names your vehicle number, so this is always the first move, whether the licence was stolen, misplaced, or simply disappeared from the glovebox.
Once you have the police complaint, the rest of the process is paperwork and a short counter visit. It is not something you can usually finish entirely online, because the police complaint has to be physically produced.
You apply at the Divisional Secretariat office that handles the area your vehicle is registered to, which is the same office you'd normally go to for a regular revenue licence renewal. Revenue licences are issued through the Provincial Councils, and DS offices act as the counter for the public in each province. If you're not sure which DS office covers your vehicle's registered address, any DS office can usually tell you, or point you to the right one.
Since the rollout of the e-Revenue Licence (eRL) system, most renewals can be done online or through connected DS counters across provinces — all provinces except the Western Province use the eRL 2.0 portal, while the Western Province runs its own eRL 1.0 system. But eRL is designed around renewing a licence you already possess details for, not re-issuing one that's gone missing with a police complaint attached. Treat the online portal as a tool for your next renewal, and handle the lost-licence replacement in person.
Based on what DS offices and motor-trade guides list for this process, be ready with:
Bring originals plus photocopies. Counter staff often keep the police complaint and a photocopy of your NIC and CR book, and hand the originals back once they've verified them.
There's a fee for issuing a duplicate, but the exact amount isn't consistent enough across sources to quote reliably here. DS offices set this as part of the prescribed fee schedule under the Provincial Council, so ask the counter staff for the current figure when you go, or check with your Provincial Council's motor traffic department as of November 2026.
Not reliably for a lost licence. The eRL portal (web.erl2.gov.lk for most provinces, a separate system for the Western Province) lets you renew a licence you already hold the details for, using your previous revenue licence number, CR book details, a valid insurance policy, and an emission test certificate. But replacing a licence that's actually missing usually still needs the police complaint handled at a physical DS counter, since that document can't be generated online. If you're unsure, call your DS office before making the trip — some processes shift over time as digital services expand.
The same general process applies — bring what's left of the damaged licence along with the other documents, and expect to go through a similar application at the DS office. Whether you'll also need a fresh police complaint for a damaged (but not lost) licence can vary by office, so it's worth asking the counter staff directly when you call ahead or arrive.
Tell the officer handling your application. If the licence period had already run out before it was lost or damaged, you may need to apply for a renewal for the current period rather than, or in addition to, a straight duplicate of the expired one. This matters because a duplicate just reissues proof of what you already had — it doesn't extend validity.
Driving without displaying a valid revenue licence is an offence under the Motor Traffic Act, and traffic police can issue a spot fine for it. Quoted fine amounts vary across different sources and change over time, so don't rely on an old number — check the current traffic fine schedule from the police or your insurer before you assume what you'd pay. The safer move is simply not to delay: get your police complaint filed and your duplicate application in as soon as you realise the licence is missing.
If you're buying or selling a vehicle and want to check a listing's documents are in order, browse current listings on /vehicles, compare what similar vehicles are going for on /price-check, or work out monthly payments on /leasing before you commit. Sellers can list a vehicle on /post-ad, and it's worth a read through /safety-tips before you meet a buyer or seller in person. If your situation doesn't quite match this guide — a damaged licence, a provincial quirk, or a DS office giving you a different answer — ask in the Wahanaya forum at /forum, where other owners share what actually happened at their local office.
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Get your insurance and VET emission certificate ready first, then renew through the eRL system or any Divisional Secretariat using your CR book (or MTA 11 and CMT 52 if the transfer hasn't finished) plus, from 1 November 2026, a TIN certificate.
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