Vehicle Registration Process

Buying a vehicle is one of the critical decision in adult life. If you are intending on buying a new vehicle, you will be required to register the vehicle with the nearest RTO. RTO stands for “Regional Transport Office.”

Vehicle Registration

Regional Transport Office(RTO) is a government organization which is responsible for keeping track of all the vehicles on the public roads in India. For this purpose, all the vehicles in India must be registered in the nearest RTO. All the vehicles that are registered will get a registration card with a unique registration number. Aside from vehicle registration or Vahan registration, another function of RTO is to issue driving licenses, inspect the vehicle insurance, and to keep a check on the pollution generated from the vehicles.

The RTO specifies a permanent registration number to every vehicle that an individual can't change under any circumstances. After buying a new vehicle, the dealer will be assigned a temporary registration number that is generally valid for a month. Within a month, you should acquire a permanent registration number for your new vehicle.

Benefits of a Registration Certificate

Vehicle registration is beneficial for many purposes.

• Firstly, it confirms the ownership of the vehicle. The vehicle is registered under the name of the person who bought the vehicle.

• It is necessary if an individual decides to sell the vehicle.

• Without a legitimate registration certificate, you don't have the statutory rights to trade the vehicle or transfer ownership of the vehicle.

• Furthermore, in case of an accident, you can track the driver or the owner of the vehicle through details mentioned in the vehicle registration. This assists the authorities in identifying the people involved in an accident and resolve all the claims harmoniously.

• Transport Ministry of India keeps track of the number of vehicles running in the country and recording every vehicle through the registration process which helps them in getting the statistics right.

The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988  considers the registration of a vehicle as a legal obligation and not the vehicle owner’s choice. According to this act, the vehicle owner must register their vehicle and the registration number must show on the vehicle at all times.

Where Can You Apply for Registration of the Vehicle?

To acquire your new vehicle registered, you'll be required to submit a duly filled form along with the necessary fees to the District Transport Office in your region. The application must be submitted within seven days from the date when you buy the vehicle.

Documents Required for the Vehicle Registration Process

• Duly filled Form 20

• Certificate of sale

• Insurance Certificate of the vehicle

• Two recent passport-sized photographs

• Physical production of the vehicle

• Temporary Registration that has been provided by the dealer

• Invoice from the dealer

• Customs’ Clearance Certificate

• Photocopy of your PAN

• Address Proof

• Citizenship Proof

• Identification Proof

Please carry all the original documents while visiting the District Transport Office.

Procedure

You must visit the District Transport Office with all the original copies of the documents mentioned above. After submitting all the documents and its verification, you will be required to obtain your vehicle to the District Transport Office for a standard inspection.

An Inspecting Officer will be verifying the vehicle physically and they will also be verifying all the details mentioned in the documents. Post successful verification, the Registering Authority will be issuing a vehicle registration number and a receipt. This receipt can be used as a proof of registration until the registration card is received.

Number Plate approval

You will be required to obtain the registration mark on the number plate of your vehicle and get it certified by the Registering Authority within 30 days of purchasing a vehicle.

Validity

The registration is valid for fifteen years from the date of issue if your vehicle is private. If you have a transport vehicle, the registration is valid until the Fitness Certificate of the vehicle expires.

Renewal

After the expiry of the registration certificate, the owner should apply for renewal within 30 days after the expiry date.