Regional Transport Office (RTO)

The Regional Transport Office or RTO is a government-owned organization that works with the main objective of maintaining the database of all the registered vehicles and provisioning the laws and rules laid down by the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. You can go through the page to get all the important RTO information and learn more about the functions and responsibilities of the RTO.

RTO Codes for Different States and Union Territories of India

There are different RTO codes for different States and Union Territories in India for easy identification of the RTO location based on the vehicle's number plate. The different RTO codes for States and Union Territories in India are as follows:

What are The Functions of The Regional Transport Office or RTO?

The RTO Office has The Following Functions: 

1. The main and most important function of RTO is to enforce the provisions that have been laid down by the Motor vehicles Act, 1988. The RTO is responsible for provisioning the central and state motor vehicle rules.
2. Another important function of the Regional Transport Office is to ensure a co-ordinated development of road transport through the management of permits.
3. The RTO is also responsible for charging and collecting tax as per the provisions of the motor vehicles act.

Key Responsibilities and Activities Performed by the Regional Transport Office or RTO

The Regional Transport Office or RTO has many important responsibilities and activities to carry out that are as follows: 

• Registration of vehicles 
• Conducting driving test issuing learner’s and permanent driving licence
• Inspecting insurance of the vehicles
• Renewal of driving licence
• Collection of road fund licences and road tax or excise duty
• Granting international driving licence
• Maintaining database of the registered vehicles
• Vehicle transfer and registration of mortgage transaction 
• Conducting the mechanical assessment of the accidental vehicles
• Clearing the pollution test 
• Issuing licence for public transit and freight traffic
• Selling customised registrations
• Providing badges to auto rickshaw and taxi drivers
• Issuing fitness certificates for transport vehicles

What are the Different Types of RTO Forms?

There are different types of RTO forms that are available for different RTO-related tasks. You can easily download these forms from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways website. Let’s have a quick look at some of the important RTO forms available there— 

• Form 20 - this form is for the application of registration of a new motor vehicle
• Form 21- for sale certificate
• Form 24- for registration of motor vehicle
• Form 23 - certificate of registration
• Form 29 - notice of transfer of ownership of a motor vehicle
• Form 38 A - report of inspection
• Form 51 - certificate of insurance
• Form 50- bill of lading
• Form 54 - accident information report
• Form 57- certificate for foreign information

Vehicle Registration at the Regional Transport Office or RTO

Whenever you buy a vehicle, you are required to register the vehicle with the local RTO office according to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The vehicle registration process is mandatory before you drive the vehicle on the road. You need to produce the valid documents to the RTO office that will be verified and your vehicle would be given a registration number. You will get a registration certificate or RC that will contain all the RTO vehicle information. 

Documents Required for Vehicle Registration

The following documents are required for the RTO vehicle registration: 

• RTO form 20 that is the application form for registration of the vehicle
• Documents for age and address proof
• Passport size photographs
• RTO form 21 that is the sales certificate of the vehicle 
• RTO form 22 that is the roadworthiness certificate
• Pollution under control certificate
• Insurance of the vehicle
• No objection certificate of the vehicle if your vehicle is registered in some other state to complete the transfer of the vehicle
• Temporary registration number
• Invoice of vehicle
• RTO registration form 35 in case of loan hypothecation

After you submit the above documents, you will receive your vehicle registration certificate within a period of 7 days.

Re-registration of a Vehicle

If a motor vehicle is registered in one state and then moved to another state then you will need to re-register the vehicle. The documents required for this re-registration process are almost the same as required for the registration. Along with the necessary documents you also need a NOC from the vehicle financier and the original registration certificate of the vehicle. Once you submit the documents and the application fee, the re-registration will be completed within a period of 15 days.

Transfer of Ownership of a Vehicle

When transferring the ownership of a vehicle, the following documents are required. 

• RTO form 29 and RTO form 30 are to be filled for making an application for transfer of vehicle
• NOC from the vehicle financier
• PUC certificate
• Insurance certificate of the vehicle
• Application fees and road taxes
• Vehicle registration certificate
• Affidavit that states the sale and purchase of the vehicle
• Age and address proof and passport size photographs