The central government has notified new rules for 20-year-old or older vehicles, making registration renewal significantly costlier. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways amended the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, stating that the move is aimed at discouraging the use of outdated vehicles that cause higher pollution. However, these rules will not apply in Delhi-NCR, where older vehicles are already banned.
As per the notification, the revised renewal fees are:
- Light motor vehicles (LMVs): increased from ₹5,000 to ₹10,000
- Motorcycles: raised from ₹1,000 to ₹2,000
- Three-wheelers and quadricycles: from ₹3,500 to ₹5,000
- Imported vehicles: ₹20,000 for two- or three-wheelers, and ₹80,000 for four-wheelers or more
The ministry clarified that older vehicles pose road safety risks and contribute heavily to pollution. By making renewal expensive, the government intends to phase out such vehicles from Indian roads. The draft proposal was issued earlier this year for public feedback before finalisation in August. A similar hike in renewal fees was last introduced in October 2021.
In Delhi-NCR, the restrictions remain unchanged, where petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years are prohibited. Recently, the Supreme Court also directed authorities not to forcibly penalise owners of such vehicles, noting that vehicle age should be considered alongside actual usage.
