Vehicle RC Renewal: How To Renew Your Car/Bike RC & Check Status Online

For any vehicle owner, it is important that your vehicle is registered with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). A vehicle’s registration certificate (RC) is an official document that serves as proof of registration, as well as ownership of the vehicle. According to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, it is mandatory for any motor vehicle in India to have a valid registration certificate in order to run on the roads and highways in the country.

What is RC Renewal or Re-registration of the Vehicle?

As mentioned earlier, the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, dictates that any vehicle that runs on the public roads of the country must have a valid registration certificate. The validity of a registration certificate of a vehicle is applicable for 15 years from the date of issuance of the certificate.

Post that, the vehicle owner is required to undergo the RC renewal process. As per the RC renewal norms, after 15 years the vehicle registration is renewed for every 5 years. This RC book renewal, however, is subject to the health of the vehicle. If, after inspection by the RTO, the vehicle is deemed fit, only then can the vehicle owner apply for an RC renewal.

For the RC renewal or re-registration of a vehicle, the vehicle owner can either get it gone offline or online. Whether you are getting your car RC renewal online, or a bike RC renewal online, you need to adhere to the guidelines laid down by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). According to the MoRTH, to apply for an RC book renewal, you must:

  1. Apply for the RC renewal within 60 days from the date of expiry of the registration certificate at the Registering Authority, under whose jurisdiction the vehicle is.
  2. Pay the taxes due on the vehicle, if applicable.
  3. Pay the RC renewal fee.

These guidelines apply for RC renewal, as well as for re-registration of the vehicle, in case the vehicle is being transferred from one state to another for use for a long time.

How to Renew RC Book Online for your Bike/Car?

To make the process of renewing your vehicle’s registration certificate easier, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways came up with the Parivahan Sewa portal, through which people can easily carry out their RC renewal online. Through the Vahan website, you can apply for and submit the required documents for your online RC book renewal. However, since the vehicle’s RC will be renewed according to the vehicle’s health, you will have to take your vehicle and your renewal application down to your respective RTO for inspection.

The RC book renewal procedure starts with Form 25. You can get the form online through the Vahan website, or can get a copy of the form at the registering authority or the RTO. After you make your online vehicle RC renewal application on the Parivahan Sewa website, you can then book an appointment to visit the RTO under whose jurisdiction the vehicle is registered. On the date of the appointment, you will have to visit the concerned RTO with the vehicle, along with the original vehicle documents, for inspection and further processing of the application.

What is RC Renewal or Re-Registration Fee?

In order to get your vehicle’s RC renewed, every state RTO requires you to pay mandatory RC renewal fees. The RC renewal charges in the country differ according to the type of vehicle. For example, the bike RC renewal fees will be different than that of a truck or car RC renewal fees. Differences in the RC renewal fees also come up according to the state where the vehicle has been registered.

The RC renewal charges are as follows:

Vehicle Type Amount
Invalid Carriage Rs. 50
Motorcycle Rs. 300
Non-transport LMV Rs. 600
Transport LMV Rs. 1,000
Medium Goods Vehicles Rs. 1,000
Medium Passenger Motor Vehicles Rs. 1,000
Heavy Goods Vehicles Rs. 1,500
Heavy Passenger Motor Vehicles Rs 1,500
Imported Motor Vehicles Rs 5,000
Imported Motorcycles Rs. 2,500
Any other vehicles not included above Rs. 3,000

It is important to note that in case the registration certificate renewed is of a smart card type, then an additional fee of Rs. 200 is applicable. Also, in case the RC renewal application is made post 60 days from the date of expiry, then an additional fee of Rs. 300 is applicable for delay of every month (in case of motorcycles), and of Rs. 500 is applicable for delay of every month (in case of other classes of non-transport vehicles).

How Can You Check Your RC Renewal Status?

It is very easy to check your RC renewal status online. To do so, you simply need to visit the Vahan website by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. There, you can avail the Vahan e-services by registering yourself as a user. In order to check your RC renewal status, you can follow the steps below:

Step 1: Visit the Parivahan Sewa website.
Step 2: Register yourself on the portal with your email address and mobile number.
Step 3: Activate your account and set your password.
Step 4: After successful activation, click on ‘Status’ on the menu bar at the top of the page.
Step 5: From the drop down menu, select ‘Know Your Application Status’.
Step 6: Enter your application number and click on Submit.

You will then be redirected to a new page where you can easily check the status of your expired RC renewal application.

What are the Forms and Documents Required for RC Renewal?

Just like any other vehicle related service, RC renewal too requires a certain set of documents and forms to be filled. Apart from the general RC renewal form, there are other documents that are needed. The documents required for renewal of RC are:

  • Form 25
  • Original registration certificate of the vehicle
  • Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate
  • Fitness certificate
  • Proof of payment of road tax
  • Insurance certificate
  • Copy of PAN card, or Form 60 and Form 61 (whichever is applicable)
  • Chassis and engine pencil print
  • Identification and signature proof of the owner
FAQs
Yes, for non-commercial vehicles, the RC can be renewed after 15 years for a period of 5 years, provided that the vehicle is deemed fit by the registering authorities.
Yes, for a minimum charge of Rs. 300, you can apply for RC renewal of your two wheeler after the expiry of the RC. You must remember to apply for renewal within 60 days from the expiration date.
To get your vehicle RC renewed, you need to take it down to the RTO where it was originally registered. The officials there will then inspect your vehicle and approve it for renewal for the next 5 years.
Since Green Tax is applied to old vehicles, which is collected when they are brought in for fitness tests or other services, when you get the RC of your vehicle renewed, then you will be asked to pay the relevant amount as Green Tax.
While the exact time may vary from state to state, in general, you can expect to receive your renewed RC within 2 weeks after submission of your RC renewal application.
The original RC is one of the important documents to have when you are applying for your vehicle RC renewal. Without it, you cannot proceed with your application. In case you have misplaced or destroyed your original RC, you must first apply for a duplicate one.
Reassignment of vehicle registration certificate is the same as re-registration of the vehicle. That is, when a vehicle is being moved from the state where it has been originally registered to another state, then it needs to be “removed” from the original state and “reassigned” or re-registered at the new state RTO.