Steps to Transfer your Car from One State to Another

Indian law mandates that you have to register your car upon ownership. It is important to register your car. This ensures that there is a clear ownership established, and aids in taxing car owners properly.

Your vehicle’s license plate displays the car’s registration number or license number, which is issued by the RTO or the Regional Transport Office in your district.

Why you need to register your car

When you move your car from one state to another, and when you want to use it for more than a year, you need to register the car once more in the new state. This means you’ll need to pay the road tax or lifetime tax again. This shall vary according to the car’s depreciated value. Once this is done, you as the vehicle owner will need to get back the reimbursement of the road tax given to the previous state. This can be done by submitting the new road tax receipt of the new state. From here onwards, the car owner needs to follow the rules and regulations of the new state.

Some car owners reach out to middlemen to do all this work for them. The downside is that due to this, many people assume that this process is very time-consuming. 

Let’s learn more about the process of vehicle re-registration as well as the inter-state transfer process.

Get your NOC from the Traffic Department

The first step is to get an NOC or No Objection Certificate from the regional transportation office. To get this, you’ll need to submit two NOCs.

The first one should be from the traffic police department saying there are no fines to be borne by the individual
The sent one should be a report given by the National Crime Records Bureau which elaborates that the vehicle in question was not involved in any crime or accident. 

Documents you need to get the NOCs are:

1. Driving license copy

2. A letter to the Deputy Commissioner of Traffic

3. A copy of the vehicle’s insurance papers, RC, and Pollution Under Control certificate.

4. Car owner’s address proof.

5. Financing bank’s clearance letter in case the car is under a loan.

When you are visiting the traffic police station, take all of these documents with you for verification. You may get the NOC within a few days. The process of getting NOC from the NCRB is similar.

Give the relevant documents to the RTO

After the NOCs are obtained, visit the RTO with these documents:

1. Copy of the registration certificate

2. Form 28

3. Documents indication road tax payment, applicable for commercial vehicles only

4. Insurance document of the car

5. Car’s PUC Certificate

6. NOC from traffic police showing there are no dues or fines

7. Written clearance from the NCRB

8. NOC from bank if the car is under loan

Submit these documents

As a car owner, you now need to submit all the documents mentioned above. Next, pay the applicable fees. You’ll get the NOC in a few days, after which you can request for re-registration in your new state.

Vehicle re-registration after transfer

Here are the documents you’ll have to give for re-registration

1. Original registration certificate from the previous state

2. Form 20 for registration of vehicle

3. NOC from the previous RTO

4. Form 27

5. Form 33

6. Copy of valid driving license

7. Copy of address proof

8. Passport sized photos

9. Lending bank’s NOC if the car is under a loan

If you have car insurance, inform the insurance company as well. You’ll need to update the insurance document with this new information of car interstate transfer.

Road tax payment

You have to pay the road tax once more before you finally get to use the car in the new state. The amount of tax shall be calculated by the RTO officer on the basis of the vehicle’s original invoice. Pay the tax through a DD, after which you get back your previous road tax. These are the documents needed at this stage.

1. Signed and updated Form 16

2. Road tax refund application

3. Copy of new registration certificate

4. Copy of old registration certificate

5. ID proof

6. Address proof

7. Insurance policy with the new registration number

How to cancel the NOC in case you change your mind

Right after the previous state, you may decide not to go with the matter anymore. For instance, you earlier thought you’ll be going to one state, but later find out that you’ll be going to a different state. During such times, apply for the NOC from the RTO to be cancelled.