List of Regional Transport Offices in Karnataka

The Regional Transport Office Karnataka operates under the Motor Vehicles Act of India. It is responsible for the collection of road taxes and ensuring that the rules and regulations of the Motor Vehicle Act 1988 are stringently followed. The RTO Karnataka comes under the Karnataka Transport Department which is supervised by the Transport Commissioner.

For those residing in the state of Karnataka, if they wish to drive their vehicle on the roads of the state, they need to have a valid driving license. The driving license will be issued by the Regional Transport Office only once the candidate clears the driving license test which is conducted in the Regional Transport office in the jurisdiction of the candidate. For every area or jurisdiction in the state, a Regional Transport Office is present, and for driving-related services, vehicle users need to visit the RTO in their area.

Not just the issuance of a driving license, Regional Transport Offices carry out services such as issuance of the learner’s license test, issuance of duplicate driving license, and renewal of a driving license. In addition, all vehicles in the jurisdiction of the RTO need to be registered with it for it to be deemed road legal. For this, the registration of the vehicle is done at the RTO, re-registration, payment of road tax and other services that the State Transport Department of Karnataka carried out.

Services offered by Regional Transport Offices in Karnataka

Listed below are the services carried out by Regional Transport Offices across the state of Karnataka on behalf of the State Transport Department:

• Issuance of the learner’s license and permanent driving license document.
• The Regional Transport Office conducts the written test for the learner’s license and the practical driving test for the permanent driving license.
• Registration of vehicles in the state. All private and commercial vehicles have to be registered in the state in order to ply on the road.
• Re-registration of a vehicle if the vehicle was originally registered in another state.
• Issuance of the fitness certificate. A fitness certificate is compulsory for commercial vehicles and for private vehicles that are more than 15 years old.
• Renewal of the permanent driving license.
• Issuance of a duplicate driving license.
• Cancellation of a vehicle registration.
• Assigning a registration number and number plate of a vehicle.
• Receiving payments for road tax.
• Issuance of a No Objection Certificate for transfer of ownership of a vehicle.
• Issuance of a No Objection Certificate for change of address and if the vehicle owner is shifting to another state and wishes or the vehicle to be re-registered.

List of Regional Transport Offices in Karnataka

Listed in the table below are the Regional Transport Offices in Karnataka and their code:

Depending on the jurisdiction of the vehicle user, he/she needs to approach any of the Regional Transport Offices for any driving related services or services related to his/her vehicle. To drive legally on the roads of the state and the rest of the country, as per the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, the vehicle user as well as the vehicle have to be registered in the RTO of his/her jurisdiction. Once the RTO issues the permanent driving license and the registration certificate of the vehicle, the vehicle user has to carry the documents when driving on the roads of the state.

Types of registration of vehicles in Karnataka

There are two types of vehicle registration in the country – temporary registration and permanent registration. Driving a vehicle without getting it registered first is an offence in India under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. This is applicable for both two wheelers and four wheelers.

Temporary registration: The dealer issues a temporary registration number at the time that the vehicle is purchased. The vehicle has to have a permanent registration under the RTO Karnataka within 30 days of issuance of the temporary registration.

Permanent registration: Permanent registration of a vehicle is issued for 15 years. At the end of the tenure, registration is to be renewed.

Documents required for temporary registration of vehicles in Karnataka

To avail a temporary registration, the following documents are required:

1. Address proof (can be Aadhaar card, PAN card, passport, utility bills, etc.)
2. Vehicle’s insurance document
3. Road tax documents
4. Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate
5. Form 18 of KMVR
6. From the manufacturer, road worthiness certificate or Form 22
7. Sales certificate or Form 21
8. For imported vehicles, customs clearance certificate
9. For army vehicles, sales certificate or Form 21 from concerned authorities
10. Fees as applicable

Documents required for permanent registration of vehicles in Karnataka

For permanent registration, you would need to fill up an application form which is in Form CMV20. This has to be submitted to the RTO Karnataka. This process has to be started within 7 days of the vehicle’s delivery. The following documents are required to apply for a permanent registration of a vehicle in Karnataka:

1. Temporary registration number (if there is one)
2. If vehicle is bought on loan, Form 34 is required for hypothecation
3. For imported vehicles, customs clearance certificate
4. For new vehicles, sales invoice from the dealer
5. Insurance documents of the vehicle
6. Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate
7. Road tax paid receipts
8. Form 22, certificate for road worthiness
9. Form 21, sales certificate
10. Form CMV20
11. Address proof and age proof of the vehicle’s owner
12. Passport size photographs of the owner
13. Application fees as applicable

Process of permanent registration of vehicles in Karnataka

The entire process can be done online through the website of the RTO Karnataka. Once the documents mentioned above are submitted, a registration number is provided to the owner which is based on ongoing series that is generated electronically. Once the number is registered, a registration certificate is sent to the owner’s registered address via speed post. The Registration Certificate (RC) is allotted in a Smart Card format. The registration numbers can also be accessed online.

Process of application for fancy numbers in Karnataka

Fancy numbers are available with the Karnataka RTO at a higher cost than automatically generated numbers as mentioned above. This is made available through an auction at which the highest bidder wins the number.

Documents required for registration renewal

For renewal of registration, the documents required are the following:

1. Insurance certificate
2. Registration certificate
3. Emission certification
4. Vehicle inspection certificate
5. Aadhaar card
6. Road tax receipt

Process of renewal of registration certificate

A registration certificate for vehicles in Karnataka is valid for 15 years. The application for renewal is made in Form CMV 25 along with the fees as per applicable. This should be initiated within 60 days of expiry of the registration certificate. This follows Rule 81 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1981. The form and fees have to be submitted with the RTO Karnataka.

Documents required for application of a duplicate RC book

If your RC book has been lost or damaged or misplaced, you can apply for a duplicate RC book. This has to be done using Form 26. The documents listed below are required for this:

• Form 26, duly and accurately filled
• Copy of the police FIR
• For vehicles purchased on loan, No Objection Certificate from the lender of the loan
• Insurance document of the vehicle
• Vehicle owner’s proof of address
• Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUC)
• Fees as applicable

Documents required to update new address in RC book

To update the vehicle owner’s new address in the RC book, an application form has to be submitted using Form 33. The following documents have to be submitted along with the application form:

• Copy of the vehicle registration
• Address proof of the owner (utility bills, Aadhaar card, PAN card, passport, etc.)
• Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate
• If vehicle is bought with a loan, No Objection Certificate from the lender of the loan
• Fees as applicable

Documents required for transfer of ownership of vehicle in Karnataka

To sell or transfer the vehicle legally, an application has to be submitted using Form 29 and 30. If the ownership is transferred as part of an inheritance, then the application has to be submitted using Form 31. If the vehicle is transferred through an auction, the application has to be submitted using Form 32.

The following documents are required for transfer of ownership of vehicle in Karnataka:

• Duly filled application forms as relevant to the situation
• Original copy of the chassis number of the vehicle
• Pollution Under Control certificate
• Registration certificate
• No Objection Certificate from the original RTO if the vehicle is sold or purchased from a different state
• Vehicle insurance document
• Vehicle owner’s address and age proof
• No Objection Certificate from lender if vehicle was bought with a loan
• Affidavit of the vehicle’s purchase and sale

If the vehicle is being transferred to another due to the death of the owner, the following documents are required along with an application made with Form 31:

• Vehicle owner’s death certificate
• Proof of succession
• Vehicle insurance document
• Registration Certificate of the vehicle
• Passport sized photographs
• Form 31 duly filled up

Documents required for fitness certificate of vehicle in Karnataka

The application for fitness certificate has to be made using Form KMV 20 along with the following documents and applicable fees:

• Insurance document of the vehicle
• Registration Certificate of the vehicle
• Pollution Under Control certificate
• Road tax receipt
• Permit

The certificate will be issued after the vehicle has been inspected by a senior inspector and if it complies with the norms under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1981.