Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) in India

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The government of India is responsible for keeping a record of all the vehicles being used on Indian roads. Therefore, under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, the Motor Vehicles Department was formulated which overlooks the maintenance of records as well as the issuance of licences and registration certificates. The head of the department is the Transport Commissioner.

Each Indian state has a number of Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) that handle the registration and driving licence processes in that state. Typically, each district of a state has an RTO that will keep a track of the vehicles being registered and individuals obtaining a driving licence in the vicinity. There are more than 1,100 RTOs in the country and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways wishes to computerise all the data store by the RTOs for easy access and maintenance.

Responsibilities of an RTO

The responsibilities of each of the RTOs in the country are given below:

• First and foremost, each RTO is accountable for the enforcement of various provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 along with other rules laid down by the centre and state governments.
• Collection of taxes as per the law.
• Development of overall road transport services by way of supervision of permits.
• Maintaining a database of registered cars, motorcycles, and transport vehicles
• Inspection of vehicles that were involved in accidents.

Services provided in RTOs

The services that can be availed in RTOs are as follows:

Licence

• Learner’s licences are issued for a particular class of vehicle (light motor vehicle, passenger vehicle, motorcycles without gear, etc.) after conducting a learner’s licence test comprising a questionnaire of road rules and regulations.
• Permanent driving licences are issued after testing the applicant’s riding or driving skills with the help of a practical test.

• Expired licences are renewed.
• Duplicate licences are issued in case one’s licence is lost, stolen, or destroyed.
• Another class of vehicles is added to the existing licence, after undergoing the practical test for the new class of vehicles.
• International driving permits are issued on the submission of relevant documents.

Registration

• Temporary registration number is provided to new vehicles until permanent registration is done.
• Permanent registration of the new vehicle is done and the registration number is provided for the same.
• The registration certificate is renewed once it expires.
• A duplicate registration certificate is issued in case the owner misplaces it or if it is mutilated.

• A no objection certificate is issued in cases where the owner wishes to move or sell his/her vehicle to a place outside the jurisdiction of the RTO where it was originally registered.
• An address change can be made in the registration certificate if the person changes his/her address.
• HP endorsement or HP termination is done in the agreement for either endorsement or termination of hire-purchase, hypothecation or lease.
• Reassignment can be done in a different RTO in case a vehicle has been moved and is being used in a different jurisdiction for over twelve months.
• Special registration is done for vehicles owned by diplomatic officers.

• Transfer of ownership of vehicles is done in case of sale of the vehicle, purchase in a public auction, or death of the owner of the vehicle.

Permits

• Local and national permits are provided for goods and passenger vehicles.
• Temporary permits for limited periods are also issued.

RTO codes for RTOs in India

Each state is provided with an RTO code which is used to identify vehicles from the registration number. The RTO codes for each of the states and union territories in India are as shown in the table below: