If you buy any vehicle in India for personal or commercial use, the registration with the regional transport office (RTO) is mandatory; only after this can the vehicle be put into use.
If you are considering buying a car, bike, or any other vehicle and want to know the RTO rules for new vehicle registration, you have come to the right place.
Here, we have discussed all about the RTO registration. By reading this article, you will get to know what its rules are, how you can register for it, what the required documents are, and much more.
RTO Rules for New Vehicle Registration
After purchasing any vehicle, whether it is for personal use or for other purposes, it is mandatory to get it registered with the RTO under the Motor Vehicle Act, because driving an unregistered vehicle is illegal and can result in fines or penalties.
On purchasing any vehicle, temporary registration is provided by the dealer, which is valid for 30 days; within this timeline, it is necessary for the buyer to get the permanent registration done with nearest RTO.
Registration with the RTO is mandatory because without it, the number plate cannot be obtained. Also, through registration, the government can now know whether the vehicle meets the legal safety and environmental standards or not.
What documents are required for vehicle registration?
Vehicle registration is mandatory with the RTO after purchasing a new vehicle, for which the following documents are required:
- Form 20: It is an application for registration of a motor vehicle; you can get it from Privahan’s website.
- Form 21: It is a sale certificate, which carries the model, date of manufacture, total invoice amount, and other details related to the vehicle, provided by the dealer.
- Form 22: Roadworthiness certificate, which states that the vehicle complies with the safety requirements and pollution norms; it is also provided by the dealer.
- Form 34: It is applicable for the vehicle bought on loan; you can get it from the Privahan’s website.
- Form 60: It is required only if you don’t have a PAN (Permanent Account Number) card.
Additionally, you need to provide identity and personal documents, which include:
- Proof of Identity: You can provide your Aadhaar Card, Voter ID, Driving License, and Passport.
- Address Proof: You can provide your Aadhaar Card, electricity bill, voter ID, passport, or rent agreement.
- Age Proof: You can provide a birth certificate, Aadhaar card, or school certificate.
- Passport-size photographs and the temporary registration certificate you got from the dealer.
You may also be asked to attach the xerox copies of the Vehicle Purchase Invoice, Insurance Certificate, and Engine Number & Chassis Number Imprint, so make sure to be ready with these documents too.
How to register a new vehicle with the RTO?
It’s mandatory to register a new vehicle with the RTO after purchasing it, but the government doesn’t offer an online process for this, as the purchased vehicle must be physically verified.
For your convenience, we’ve provided step-by-step instructions on how to register your vehicle with your nearest Regional Transport Office.
- Visit the nearest RTO office with all the above-mentioned documents along with your vehicle.
- After visiting the office, tell the concerned officer that you have purchased a new vehicle and have come for its registration.
- He will explain the further process in which you will be asked to submit the documents along with the application form.
- After submitting it, you will have to wait for a while, as he will verify the details.
- After verification of the details, he will ask you to deposit the registration fees and road tax at the concerned counter.
- After form and fees submission, the RTO officer, i.e., the Inspector of Motor Vehicles, will inspect your vehicle thoroughly; after inspection, he will upload all the details on a centralized database.
- After a few days of details being uploaded on the database, the RTO Superintendent will verify it, after which the ARTO (Assistant Regional Transport Officer) will approve proof of vehicle registration if all the details are correct.
- After some time of approval, your vehicle registration certificate (RC) smartcard will be printed and sent by post to your residential address.
Note that the permanent registration certificate (RC) is valid for 15 years; that is, after this much time, you will have to get the registration done again.
What’s the RTO registration fee for a new vehicle?
The basic registration fees that need to be deposited for registering a new vehicle with the RTO after purchasing it vary slightly from state to state depending on the vehicle type. We have shared the details of basic registration fees in the table below.
| Vehicle Type | Registration Fee (₹) |
| Two-wheeler / Motorcycle | 300 |
| Three-wheeler / Quadricycle | 600 (Non-transport) / 1,000 (Transport) |
| Car / Light Motor Vehicle (LMV) | 600 (Non-transport) / 1,000 (Transport) |
| Medium Goods / Passenger Vehicle | 1,000 |
| Heavy Goods / Passenger Vehicle | 1,500 |
| Imported Car | 5,000 |
| Imported Motorcycle | 2,500 |
| Other Vehicles | 3,000 |
An additional ₹200 has to be deposited to obtain the RC smart card. Apart from this, 50% of the registration fees have to be deposited for getting a duplicate RC or a correction done in the RC.
What details are available on the vehicle RC?
After registering the vehicle with the RTO, we get the RC, which is proof that our vehicle is registered with the Regional Transport Office, and many important details are available on it, which are as follows.
Vehicle Information
- Vehicle Registration Number
- Vehicle Type (Car/Bike/Transport/Non-transport)
- Make and Model of the Vehicle
- Manufacturing Year
- Fuel Type (Petrol/Diesel/CNG/Electric)
- Engine Number
- Chassis Number
- Engine Capacity (CC)
- Seating Capacity
- Emission Norms (BS4/BS6, etc.)
Owner Information
- Owner’s Name
- Father’s/Husband’s Name (in some states)
- Address of the Owner
Registration & Authority Details
- Name of Issuing RTO
- RC Issue Date
- RC Validity Period
- Registration Date
Insurance & Financial Details
- Insurance Policy Number and Validity
- Hypothecation Details (if vehicle is on loan)
- Financier/Bank Name (if applicable)
Other Important Details
- Vehicle Class (Private/Commercial)
- Tax Details / Road Tax Validity
- Color of the Vehicle
While driving, it is necessary that you have RC along with a driving license. If a physical copy is not available, then in this situation you can show a digital copy on the DigiLocker or mParivahan mobile app to the traffic police for checking.
How to check the Vehicle Registration Certificate (RC) status?
Although the process of registering a vehicle with the RTO is not available online, the government has provided the facility to check its status online for the convenience of the people so that they can stay updated regarding their RC.
RC status can be checked very easily after applying for registration. We have provided the process below for your convenience.
- First of all, you have to go to the official website of Parivahan.
- On the home page you will see the option of online services; after selecting it, click on the option of vehicle-related services.
- Now you have to select your state, against which you have to select the RTO, i.e., regional transport office, where you have submitted the form for registration, and then click on the proceed button.
- On the second web page you will see the option of Know Your Vakil Status under the status section; click on it.
- At last you have to fill in the application number and then enter the CAPTCHA and click on the submit button to check the status.
What to do if the vehicle registration certificate smart card is lost or damaged?
A vehicle registration certificate is an important document without which driving is not allowed. If it is not available, you may be penalized. If your RC is lost or damaged, then in this situation you need not worry. You can apply for a duplicate RC, the process of which is online, and there is no hassle of offline paperwork.
To get a duplicate RC, some important documents are required, and a required fee also has to be deposited for it. If the physical copy of the RC is damaged or lost, you can use the digital copy, which you can download from DigiLocker or mParivahan, until you get a duplicate copy.
What documents are required to apply for the duplicate RC?
In order to apply for the vehicle duplicate registration certificate (RC) smartcard, it is mandatory that you have the following documents:
- Form 26: It is an application form for the issuance of a duplicate RC; you can get it from Privahan’s website.
- FIR Copy: It is mandatory to have from the local police station if your RC is lost or stolen.
- PUC Certificate: You must have a valid Pollution Under Control certificate.
- Vehicle Insurance Certificate: You must have an active insurance policy copy.
- Address Proof: You can provide your Aadhaar Card, Voter ID, Passport, or Electricity Bill.
- PAN Card: If you don’t have this document, you need to submit Form 60/61.
- Owner’s Signature Identification: You must have ID for verification.
Additionally, you must have the following vehicle-related documents:
- Chassis Number Pencil Print
- Engine Number Details
- Original RC (if damaged or partially available)
You may also be asked to provide a Challan Clearance Certificate, which proves that no pending traffic fines exist; a Tax Clearance Certificate, required only if your vehicle is for commercial use; a financier NOC, if the vehicle is under loan or hypothecation; and an affidavit, which states that the RC is lost and not seized by any authority.
What’s the fee for the Vehicle Duplicate RC?
To apply for a duplicate RC, fee payment is mandatory, which depends on the type. You can get the details in this regard from the table given below.
| Vehicle Type | Duplicate RC Fee (₹) |
| Two-wheeler / Motorcycle | 150 |
| Three-wheeler / Quadricycle | 300 (Non-transport) / 500 (Transport) |
| Car / Light Motor Vehicle (LMV) | 300 |
| Medium Goods / Passenger Vehicle | 500 |
| Heavy Goods / Passenger Vehicle | 750 |
| Imported Car | 2,500 |
| Imported Motorcycle | 1,250 |
| Other Vehicles | 1,500 |
Note that the fees vary slightly depending on the state RTO. You may have to pay extra charges for smart card printing, late application penalties, and hypothecation updates if under the loan.
How to apply for the Vehicle Duplicate RC Smartcard?
The complete step-by-step instructions to apply online for the Vehicle Duplicate RC are as follows.
- First of all, go to the official website of Parivahan.
- On the home page, select the online services option.
- Now you will see the vehicle-related service option; click on it.
- Select your state and enter the vehicle registration number and click on the Proceed button.
- Click on the services option, then on the registered service option, and then on the apply for duplicate RC option.
- Enter the last 5 digits of the number and go to the next page by clicking on the Verify detail option.
- Enter all asked details accurately and reach the payment page.
- Pay the fee using any of the payment modes provided and download the acknowledgement slip for further reference.
After completing the online process, you have to go to the nearest RTO office with the required documents and form and submit them, then within a few days you will receive your duplicate RC.
