Big Win for Petrol and Diesel Car Owners: Vehicle Validity Stretched by 5 Years, Here’s the Catch!

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has published a notification bringing symbolic amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, affecting the renewal of registration certificates for older vehicles. The new rules, named the Central Motor Vehicles (Third Amendment) Rules, 2025, were notified on August 20, 2025, and will take effect immediately upon publication in the Official publication.

According to the notification, the government has introduced a structured fee system for vehicles over 20 years old, intended at reclining the registration renewal process. Under the revised rules, fees for renewing registration certificates for different categories of vehicles are as follows: invalid carriages at Rs 100, motorcycles at Rs 2,000, three-wheelers and quadricycles at Rs 5,000, light motor vehicles at Rs 10,000, imported two- or three-wheeled vehicles at Rs 20,000, imported four-wheeled vehicles at Rs 80,000, and other vehicles not listed at Rs 12,000.

The amendment also clarifies that all fees mentioned are exclusive of Goods and Services Tax (GST). The move comes after public consultations on the draft rules, which were first published in February 2025, and reflects the government’s efforts to consider suggestions from all shareholders before finalizing the regulations.

Officials said the changes were made under the powers granted by Section 64 and Section 211 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and are part of a vast initiative to modernize vehicle regulation, strengthen consent and ensure road safety.

It has also been suggested by the experts that the revision may encourage vehicle owners to upgrade or retire older vehicles, particularly imported four-wheelers, due to higher renewal costs. Meanwhile, authorities have allowed that the structured fee system will normalize the process and reduce delays in registration renewals, benefiting both vehicle owners and regulatory bodies.

The Ministry has assured the public that the new rules are aimed at improving efficiency, transparency, and fairness in the motor vehicle registration system, ensuring that long-serving vehicles remain compliant with safety and environmental norms.

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