How to Get Duplicate RC Online & Offline?

Registration certificate, popularly known as RC is as important as the license or two wheeler insurance for driving a vehicle in India. An RC is proof that your vehicle is registered legally by the RTO under the Indian government. An RC is valid for a period of 15 years. After 15 years, the registration certificate of that particular vehicle must be renewed every 5 years.

There is a particular procedure to apply for a duplicate RC. But before we start telling you about the procedure to apply for a duplicate RC, you should know why would you require a duplicate copy of that RC?

When & Why Would You Require Duplicate RC?

There are times when the registration certificate is lost or the car has been stolen with all the documents kept inside it. For example, In India there are car owners who rent a house and don’t have a parking spot. In that case, they have to park their car out beside the road. This puts their car at risk of getting stolen and when their car gets stolen they lose the documents kept inside their car.

Now at this point, having two wheeler insurance or a car insurance policy would come in handy. Only if you have a comprehensive insurance policy, the insurance company will compensate an equal amount for your stolen car’s monetary value if the car is not recovered. If you do not have a comprehensive insurance plan then the insurance company will not pay anything.

So, in order to raise the claim for the stolen vehicle, your insurance company will require the FIR for the stolen vehicle. Therefore, to file an FIR in the police station, you need to have proof of ownership of that stolen vehicle. In this case, you will have to go to the RTO office where your vehicle was registered in the first place. Let us now tell you the procedure to get a duplicate RC.

How to Apply for Duplicate RC Online?

Since everything is done online now-a-days. There is an online procedure to apply for a duplicate RC of your vehicle. Here is how you can do it:

1. Open the Parivahan Sewa website on your computer.
2. Fill out the application form.
3. Fill in required information like police FIR and vehicle insurance.
4. Submit the fee. The fee depends on the vehicle’s category. For example, for light vehicles like car, jeep, taxis etc. the fee is Rs. 700.
5. Download and print the receipt generated on the successful payment.
6. Then submit the receipt along with other documents at the RTO office.

Documents Required for Duplicate RC Online

You need to submit the following documents along with the application form to the RTO office. Documents marked with * might be required in some of the states.

1. Application form no 26. (From the financier of hypothecated, a copy attested to the endorsement and in duplicate)
2. FIR original copy. Once you register an FIR at the police station if your vehicle is stolen or lost.
3. Pollution under control certificate (PUC) attested copy.
4. Valid insurance certificate attested copy*.
5. Address proof*
6. Challan clearance from traffic police*
7. PAN card attested copy or form 60 & 61*
8. Chassis & Engine pencil print*
9. Identification of signature of owner*
10. Affidavit that states you lost the RC and has not been recovered.

All the document copies must be attested by Nigam Parshad/MLA/Public Notary/Gazetted officer.

How to Apply for Duplicate RC Offline?

To apply for duplicate RC offline, you need to follow the steps mentioned below:

1. First of all file an FIR in the local police station. Mention everything about the vehicle like Owner details, chassis number, engine number and registration number.
2. Visit the RTO office where the vehicle was originally registered.
3. Get the RC-extract. An RC-Extract is the vehicle owner’s information about the registered vehicle and driving license as well.
4. Fill in the application form for duplicate RC.
5. Do this along with form 26.
6. Get your vehicle financier to attest that the vehicle was purchased on loan.
7. Choose the type of vehicle whether two-wheeler or 4-wheeler.
8. Then submit the form at the RTO office and take the receipt.

Documents Required for Duplicate RC Offline

You would require the following documents when applying for the duplicate RC offline.

1. Tax token along with tax payment details of the last year.
2. Insurance certificate
3. NOC from financier
4. Valid PUC certificate.

Now, apart from applying for a duplicate RC online and offline, many people think that it same as renewing the RC. So let us tell you that there are a few differences between them.

Difference Between RC Renewal and Getting Duplicate RC (In Case You Lost It)

The basic difference between these two is that you can apply for a duplicate RC when the original RC is lost, burnt or misplaced. But you will have to renew your RC after the period of 15 years when it expires. Now that we have told you how to apply for duplicate RC online and offline, let us also tell you the process of renewing your RC.

Steps to Follow for RC Renewal or Vehicle Re-registration

If the vehicle is more than 15 years old, the registration of the vehicle expires. So here are the steps that you can follow to renew it or re-register it.

• Along with form 25 submit the application form at the RTO office.
• An RTO inspector will inspect your vehicle to see the engine’s condition.
• Pay the fee at the RTO office.
• After the documents are verified, a new registration certificate will be issued to you.

How to Covert RC Book to RC Smart Card?

There was a time when the RTO office provided the RC book to the vehicle owners which is a hard copy of Registration certificate. In this case, there is a risk of text getting worn away or the RC book to get torn apart. Observing this situation, RTO launched an RC smart card option for vehicle owners that resolves these kinds of problems. So, the people who want to covert their RC book in to an RC smart card can follow the procedure mentioned below.

1. Write an application addressing the Traffic Police Superintendent of your city.
2. Write that you wish to convert your RC book to a RC smart card.
3. Take the PUC and insurance paper to the RTO office.
4. Submit your Old RC book along with the documents required.
5. RTO will verify and then issue an RC Smart card to the registered address.

Documents Required to Convert RC Book to RC Smart Card

You will have to submit following documents and a fee of roughly Rs. 300. Document required are as follows:

• Original RC
• Identification
• Proof of Address
• Insurance Certificate
• PUC copy
• Chassis imprint
• Application for smart card issuance

Conclusion

It is better to get an RC smart Card instead of holding on to the RC book. Since there are chances of RC book to get damaged, it is very easy to carry an RC smart card and it is not easily damaged. You can keep the RC smart card in you wallet like you keep your lisence. It would be easier and more safe than keeping a RC book. Also, having an insurance policy for your vehicle is also important because it plays a huge role because the procedure from filing an FIR at police station to apply for a duplicate RC and Raising a claim for your stolen car and RC is interconnected which I have mentioned above. So, make sure to get yor vehicle covered under an insurance policy.