Who is the Regional Transport Officer (RTO)?

October 23, 2014

The RTO is the Licensing, Registration and Taxation Authority of a particular region.  The legal age to drive is eighteen and before you get your licence to drive you need to apply and get a learner licence from the RTO. This license is valid for 6 months and is valid throughout India.

You can only apply to the Licensing Authority (RTO) in the jurisdiction in which live or carry on business or the motor driving school you are attending. If your licence expires you can renew it within 5 years from its date of expiry. The Penalty for late renewal is charged after the first thirty days of expiry. The penalty for late renewal is Rs10 per year or part of year for the period lapsed. If you wish to drive a car or ride a bike with a learner licence, you can do so only in the company of a person with a valid driving licence.

Using a motor vehicle without a licence or with an expired license is an offence under motor vehicle laws. So do make sure that you carry your license when you use a motor vehicle and if it is expired, renew it as soon as possible.

The following original documents as regards your vehicle must be in your possession while using your vehicle:

• Your Driving Licence
• Registration Certificate
• Taxation Certificate
• Insurance Certificate
• PUC Certificate
• Road Permit and Fitness Certificate

These documents must be produced if demanded by a Police Officer in uniform or an Officer from the motor vehicle department. A valid Insurance Certificate under section 147 of M. V. Act is also a must have.

If address proof is required, be sure to produce any one of the following documents:

• School leaving certificate
• SSC certificate
• Passport
• Electricity bill
• Telephone bill
• Rent receipt

If age proof is required, be sure to produce any one of the following documents:

• Electoral roll/ voters I-card
• Life Insurance Policy
• Birth Certificate
• Passport
• Civil Surgeon’s Certificate

The following table shows the number of instruction hours a motor driving school is supposed to impart to the candidate enrolled:

The following are a few points to remember with regard to registration of your vehicle:

• No person can drive a motor vehicle, which is not registered with R.T.O.
• No owner of a motor vehicle can allow or permit the use of unregistered vehicle.
• No dealer of vehicle can deliver the unregistered motor vehicle to the purchaser. He can only deliver the vehicles which are temporarily /permanently registered with R.T.O
• Register your vehicle at the Registering Authority (RTO) in whose jurisdiction you reside or you have a place of business where the vehicle is normally kept.

A vehicle registered in one State can be used in another State with the same registration number for temporary purpose. The registration number is valid throughout India, but if a vehicle is migrated to another State for long period of time, then a fresh registration number needs to be obtained.

If you have lost your car’s registration certificate you need to apply for a duplicate registration certificate where your vehicle has been registered with. In case of non transport vehicles like two wheelers and cars the registration certificate is valid for 15 years from date of first registration. It is renewed after every five subsequent years.

In case of transport vehicles, like goods and passenger carriers, the Registration Certificate is valid till the Certificate of Fitness if valid. If you want to renew the registration of your motor vehicle submit your vehicle which is mechanically fit, neat and clean, with Form 25 duly filled, along with Registration Certificate, Taxation Certificate and the prescribed fees paid.

Your vehicle will be inspected by the Inspector of motor vehicles and if he is satisfied, the registration is renewed.

Taxes paid at the time of registration, are motor vehicle taxes for that particular State and not for India. Taxation on motor vehicles is governed by the Bombay Motor Vehicles (BMV) Tax Act, 1958. No vehicle which is not duly registered and for which taxes are not paid can be used in public place. It is an offence to drive any vehicle for which taxes have not been paid. RTO official can detain / seize your vehicle if you have not paid the taxes in time.

Every transport vehicle must possess a valid Fitness Certificate and it has to be renewed every year after inspection of your vehicle by the concerned RTO. The RTO is empowered to cancel the valid Fitness Certificate if your vehicle is caught in a mechanically unfit condition.

An RTO official can issue you a memo for the breach of provisions of Motor Vehicle Act and Rules. Such memos essentially consist of a description of the offence, seal and signature of the Issuing Authority. Normally the documents are impounded for minor offences whereas a vehicle is detained for the offences like failure to pay the Bombay Motor Vehicle taxes, overloading of vehicle, plying without Certificate of Fitness and Permit, and clandestine operation of passengers.

Report to the concerned RTO office along with all valid documents of vehicle within the time mentioned in the memo. You would either be prosecuted in the Court of Law or asked to pay the compounding fee (penalty) as the case may be.

The following are speed limits for vehicles on the road:

If you need to update the address in your driving license you have to apply on a plain paper indicating your new address along with proof of address like passport or LIC policy, which mentions your new address, to the Licensing Authority which issued you the license.

In case your new address falls in the jurisdiction of another Licensing Authority then you have to get ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC) from the Licensing Authority which issued you the license. Once you get the NOC you have to submit your license along with the NOC to the Authority who has jurisdiction of your address. Please carry three recent passport size photographs along with you.

The following are the different RTO offices in Mumbai:

Source: This information has been obtained from http://mahatranscom.in/  

All our articles are periodically updated.