Driving a vehicle without a registration

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It is mandatory to register motor vehicles before driving them ¹, and after getting your vehicle registered, you will receive a Registration Certificate (RC) ². It is mandatory to carry the original copy or electronic copy of the RC and to display a registration mark on your vehicle ³.

If you drive or allow a motor vehicle to be driven without registration, you can be punished with a fine between Rs. 2,000 to 5,000 for the first offence, and with jail time of up to 1 year, or a fine between Rs. 5,000 and 10,000, or both, for any subsequent offence ⁴. The applicable fine amount might vary across states.

You cannot be fined for not having the Registration Certificate only for the following reasons ⁵:

Conveyance of persons suffering from sickness or injuries
Transport of food or materials to relieve distress or of medical supplies

However, you must inform the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) of your state within 7 days that you are using a motor vehicle for the two reasons given above, otherwise you can be fined.

Given below are the fine amounts for two states:

State	Frequency of Offence	Fine Amount (In INR)
Delhi	First offence	2,000 – 5,000
Delhi	Any subsequent offence	5,000 – 10,000
Karnataka	Two/Three-Wheeler	2,000
	Light Motor Vehicle	3,000
	Medium/Heavy Vehicle and Others	5,000

Section 39, The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.[↩]
Section 41, The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.[↩]
Section 139, The Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.[↩]
Section 192(1), The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.[↩]
Section 192, The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.[↩]

Comments

Arvind Kumar

September 16, 2022

Help

Nyaaya

September 19, 2022

Hi, how may we help you?

Somya

February 9, 2024

Hi, I have purchased a car on lease in Aug 2023. Due to the non-compliance on the side of leasing company, the registration of car has been on hold since August onwards. I have already paid all the taxes and charges and also have all the proofs. I have also received the number plate.

Is it okay to drive the car or is it illegal to drive without the rc smart card??

Dinaz Muncherji

February 16, 2024

I am Chairperson of a Residential society, a resident is parking a four wheeler inside the society premises since last 2 to 3 months and it does not have any registration plate. What action can be taken by the society

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