Regional Transport Office (RTO)
RTO is also called as the Regional Transport Office. It is an organization of the Government of India with a primary motive to maintain the database of all the vehicles in different States and Union Territories of India.
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For every city and state, there is a different RTO to execute the activities and the functions, as per the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. And the Transport Commissioner is the head of the departments in the specific states.
The aim is to ensure proper functioning of vehicles which are allotted under specific series in a particular state. The Regional Transport Office identifies the vehicles that are not taxed. The role also involves identifying the cars entering different Indian states. RTO also keeps a tab of vehicles exceeding the prescribed speed limit on the roads as caught on the speed cameras.
RTO of a state is responsible for vehicle registration, re-registration, transfer of ownership, issuing driving licenses, tax collection and the likewise. Furthermore, the RTO officer grants fitness certificates to transport vehicles and checks for the validity of the motor insurance policies.
One can visit the RTO office physically for vehicle registration or do it online. Nowadays, all the RTO services are available online of the official site of every state.
Key Responsibilities of RTO includes-
- Conducting driving tests
- Issuing and renewing the driving licenses
- Inspecting the vehicle insurance
- Clearing the pollution test
- Collection of road fund licenses and road tax/excise duty
- Vehicle registration
- Granting international driving licenses
- Providing freight and public transport licenses
- Maintaining the database of the registered vehicles
- Selling customized registrations
- Vehicle transfer and registration of loan transactions
- Providing badges to the taxi and auto rickshaw drivers
- Conducting the mechanical assessment of the accidental vehicles
- Issuing the fitness certificate to transport vehicles
What is Temporary RTO Registration?
As per the provisions laid down in the Sec. 43 of the Central Motor Vehicle Act, a temporary registration certificate is permissible if only the vehicle needs to be taken to another state. It means that the vehicle is yet to get the permanent registration number.
Usually, it is valid for a period of one month.During that period it is essential to get your vehicle permanently registered with the RTO of your city/state.
What is the Role of the Regional RTO?
The Regional RTO is responsible to-
- Collect and charge tax as per the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.
- Implement the provisions as per the central and state motor vehicle rules and the Motor Vehicles, Act, as enforced by the Government
- Ensure coordinated development of road transport through the management of permit.
- Through the management of permit, road transport is coordinated by the RTO
RTO Codes for the Different States of India
| STATE | RTO CODE | STATE | RTO CODE |
| Chhattisgarh | CG | Goa | GA |
| Assam | AS | Bihar | BR |
| Himachal Pradesh | HP | Jammu and Kashmir | JK |
| Kerala | KL | Madhya Pradesh | MP |
| Meghalaya | ML | Mizoram | MZ |
| Punjab | PB | Rajasthan | RJ |
| Tripura | TR | West Bengal | WB |
| Uttarakhand | UK | Uttar Pradesh | UP |
| Andhra Pradesh | AP | Tamil Nadu | TN |
| Gujarat | GJ | Haryana | HR |
| Jharkhand | JH | Karnataka | KA |
| Maharashtra | MH | Manipur | MN |
| Nagaland | NL | Odisha | OD |
| Sikkim | SK | Arunachal Pradesh | AR |
| Telangana | TS |
RTO Codes for Union Territories
| RTO Locations | RTO Code |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | AN |
| National Capital Territory of Delhi | DL |
| Chandigarh | CH |
| Lakshadweep | LD |
| Puducherry | PY |
| Daman and Diu | DD |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli | DN |
How to Check Your Vehicle Registration Details Online?
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) Government of India launched ‘Vahan’ for vehicle registration in India.
You can visit the site for vehicle registration, transfer of vehicle ownership,renewal permit, issuing fitness certificate etc.
You can easily check your RTO vehicle information/registration details on the site of RTO online here: parivahan[dot]gov[dot].in
All you need to do is –
- Enter the vehicle number
- Click on the submit button
- Get all the information related to your vehicle
What are the Different Types of RTO Forms?
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways website has a number of RTO forms that you can easily download and use for any work related to the RTO. Here’ a quick rundown of some of the forms -
- Form 20- Application for registration of a motor vehicle
- Form 23- Certificate of registration
- Form 21- Sale certificate
- Form 29- Notice of transfer of ownership of a motor vehicle
- Form 24- Registration of motor vehicle
- Form 38 A- Report of inspection
- Form 51- Certificate of insurance
- Form 50- Bill of lading
- Form 57- Certificate for foreign insurance
- Form 54- Accident information report
How to Get a Personalized Vehicle Number?
To get a fancy or personalized vehicle number you need to register online on the official site of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highway.
Few computer generated numbers between 1 and 9999 are allotted to the state government officials. So, if you wish to get a personalized number, bid on a given date and pay a special price.
- To select the fancy number you need to login to the account in order to select a particular number and pay the amount.
- The results of the bidding are declared online. In case the bidder is already selected, the remaining amount is refunded.
- It is recommended that you download the letter of allotment for future reference.
Fees Charged by RTO
For vehicle registration, the RTO charges some fees based on the type of vehicle. Refer to the below table to have an idea of their fee structure -
| RTO Vehicle Information | RTOFees as per 2017 ( inRs. ) |
| Car Registration Fee | 600 |
| Three-wheelers | 1000 |
| Lorries, stage carriers | 1500 |
| Renewal of Fitness Certificate | 200 |
| Driving License ( Learning) | 150 |
| Driving License ( Permanent ) | 300 |
*Above mentioned prices are just for your reference. Please refer to the nearest RTO office to know the current fees.
Documents Required To Register Your Vehicle
The RTO will ask for the following documents-
- Application in Form 20
- Passport size photos
- Invoice from the manufacturer and dealer
- Sales certificate /Form 21
- Pollution check certificate
- Form 22 from the company/ Road worthiness certificate
- Pollution under control certificate
- Certificate of insurance
- Address and date of birth proof
- Temporary registration (if any)
- For ex-army vehicles, original sales certificate from the concerned authorities in Form 21 is required
- License along with clearance certificate from the customs ( in case of imported vehicles)
- Form 34 (if it is an HP endorsement)
- Chassis & Engine Pencil Print
- Copy of PAN card of Form 60 and Form 61 (as applicable)*
- To register tractors, a bonafide agriculture certificate issued by the Tehsildar is required
- Form A under Taxation Act, 1997
What is Vehicle Registration Process?
Once you have all the documents ready, you can visit the nearest RTO office to get your vehicle registered. You need to pay the registration fees and then follow the process as described below-
- Visit the RTO office with all the required documents and duly filled forms. It is advisable that you also carry theXerox copies of the documents.
- Also, carry a demand draft for the payable road tax.
- Now, submit the registration form along with documents at the respective counters. Pay the fees/ charges associated with the process.
- The process will be completed in 2 to 3 days. In some cases, it may take a little longer.
- Once the processing is complete, the RTO will assign the vehicle number.
Hundreds of applications are sent to the RTO every day. Therefore, if you wish for speedy and hassle-free vehicle registration process, make sure that all the documents are arranged properly.
Q1. What is the meaning of RTO?
RTO is the short form of Regional Transport Office. It is a government-owned organization, which is responsible to manage all the vehicles plying on the Indian roads.
Q2. What is the role of Regional Transport Office/RTO?
The major role of RTO is to enforce the provisions as per the Motor Vehicle Act along with the central and state government rules. Every vehicle has to be registered with the nearest RTO office.
Moreover, RTO is responsible to inspect motor insurance, renewing and issuing the driving license, pollution certificate and the likewise.
Moreover, RTO is responsible to inspect motor insurance, renewing and issuing the driving license, pollution certificate and the likewise.
Q3. Why is the registration of vehicle necessary?
A per the Sec. 39 of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 a vehicle is only allowed to be driven after it is registered with the RTO.
Q4. Can I check the registration details of my vehicle online?
Yes, it is possible to check it online from the given website: parivahan[dot]gov[dot].in
Q5. Are there different RTO codes for every Indian state?
Yes, every state has a specific RTO code for easy identification, such as Gujarat-GJ, Haryana-HR etc. The registration number is allocated accordingly.
Q6. Are there different RTO codes for Union territories in India?
Yes, every Union Territory in India has a specific RTO code for easy identification, such as DD for Daman and Diu, PY for Puducherry and the likewise.
Q7. Can I apply for transfer of ownership online?
The process goes as follows-
- To apply online for transfer of vehicle ownership visit: parivahan[dot]gov[dot].in
- Then go to application selection and select transfer of ownership option
- Submit the details of the new owner
- Now select the purpose from the following – Theft/ Sale / Succession / Auction.
- Enter the Owner’s name, serial number, Owner Category, Father/Husband’s Name, Date of Sale (as per the form 29) and the Sale Amount
- Mark off FRC if it is in the name of Financer
- Submit your address details ( current/permanent)
