Vehicle Fitness Certificate for Cars: A Complete Guide

Why do you Need a Fitness Certificate for a Car?

Obtaining a fitness certificate for your car certifies that it is fit to be driven on the roads of India. Apart from being a mandatory requirement, here is why a valid FC is important for a four-wheeler:

• A Fitness Certificate is a mandatory requirement for every car, especially an 8-seater car. Not having an FC with you can result in heavy traffic fines and vehicle seizure as well.
• In order to keep the emission levels of your car under control, it is essential to get your vehicle checked and monitored by obtaining a car fitness certificate.
• A Fitness Certificate also states that any old car that does not pass the emission test is not allowed to ply on the roads.
• Additionally, it is also a responsibility of a car owner to get his/her car’s fitness checked in order to avoid any road accident arising out of an unfit car.

How to Apply for a Car Fitness Certificate?

After the introduction of the online method of FC application, it has become easier than ever to apply for a Fitness certificate via the Government’s Parivahan portal. Below we have mentioned both online and offline ways to apply for FC for a four-wheeler. Take a look:

Steps to Apply for Fitness Certificate via Offline Mode

Here is how you can apply for a Fitness Certificate for your car offline:

• Visit the nearest RTO office
• Duly fill and submit application Form 20 to the concerned authority
• Submit sales certificate in Form 21
• Submit prescribed fees

The car will then be inspected by the Motor Vehicle Inspector for fitness. Once fit, the car will be issued a fitness certificate which will be valid for 15 years.

Steps to Apply for Fitness Certificate via Online mode

A car owner can also apply for a Fitness certificate online from the Parivahan portal website. Here is a step-by-step process to do so:

• Visit the official Parivahan portal website
• Select 'Vehicle-Related Services' from the Online Services dropdown
• Enter your car registration number
• Select the 'Application for Fitness Certificate' option
• Provide your vehicle's 'Chassis Number and registered mobile number
• Enter the OTP received and the rest of the details
• Make payment and collect the digital receipt. Once you have received the receipt, submit it along with other documents to the RTO. After inspection, your car will be issued a fitness certificate.

Documents Required to Obtain a Car Fitness Certificate

In order to obtain a Vehicle Fitness Certificate for your four-wheeler, you will need the following documents:

• Form 20,21
• Form 22 (road-worthiness certificate)
• Road Tax Payment Receipt
• Car insurance policy document
• Original RC
• PUC Certificate
• Temporary registration if any
• Prescribed fees

RTO Fees to Obtain a Vehicle Fitness Certificate

Below mentioned is a table stating the prescribed fee payable for obtaining a fresh Fitness certificate for commercial vehicles:

For private vehicles, the fees for obtaining an FC is charged along with registration fees.

How to Renew Vehicle Fitness Certificate Online?

The validity of a Fitness Certificate for a new private car is for 15 years. After which it will be renewed every 5 years. A vehicle owner can renew the fitness certificate by applying for it online.

• Visit the official Parivahan Sewa website
• From the 'Vehicle-Related Services', select the 'Other Services' option
• Click on the 'Fitness' option
• Select the state name from the dropdown
• Enter the registration number and Proceed
• Select the 'Apply for Fitness Renewal' option
• Enter the chassis number and mobile number
• Enter the One time Password and verify
• Pay the applicable fees online
• Download the payment receipt
• Visit the RTO office with your car on the date designated for inspection. After the test clearance, your vehicle's Fitness certificate will be renewed for the next 5 years.

Wrapping Up!

To sum up, getting a vehicle Fitness Certificate for your new as well as old car is mandatory and essential in India. In case you are caught without a valid FC, you may have to pay Rs. 100 for the first offence and up to Rs. 5,000 for repeated offences. Thus, to avoid any traffic rule violation and to save yourself from paying hefty fines, you can apply for a car Fitness certificate online on the Parivahan portal or offline as well.