Vehicle RC — Transfer, Duplicate and Hypothecation

This is where almost every serious RC problem starts. Until the transfer is recorded, the vehicle remains registered in the seller’s name — and so does liability for challans, and potentially for anything the vehicle is involved in.

Handing over the keys, the RC book and a signed form is not a transfer. The transfer has to be recorded by the RTO.

1. Both parties complete Form 29 (notice of transfer) and Form 30 (application for transfer).
2. The seller retains a copy of Form 29 with the buyer’s acknowledgement. This is the seller’s only evidence that the sale happened.
3. Apply on vahan.parivahan.gov.in or at the RTO, with the RC, insurance, pollution certificate and identity documents.
4. Pay the fee and complete the transfer.
5. The seller should verify on the portal that the vehicle is no longer in their name. Do not assume the buyer completed it.
6. The buyer should transfer the insurance policy as well — an untransferred policy can mean a claim is refused.

While a vehicle loan is outstanding, the lender is recorded on the RC as the hypothecatee. That entry does not disappear when you make the final payment — it has to be removed.

Until it is, you cannot sell the vehicle cleanly, and the RC continues to show a lender with an interest in it.

1. Obtain the no-objection certificate (Form 35) from the lender after the final instalment. Lenders are obliged to issue it.
2. Apply for hypothecation termination on vahan.parivahan.gov.in or at the RTO, with the NOC, the RC and your identity documents.
3. Pay the fee.
4. Collect the updated RC and confirm the lender’s name has been removed.
5. Do this promptly — NOCs have a validity period, and a lapsed one means going back to the lender.

• You need an NOC from the RTO where the vehicle is currently registered before re-registering it elsewhere.
• Re-registration in the new state involves paying that state’s road tax, and applying for a refund of the unused portion from the original state.
• The refund process is slow and often more trouble than the amount justifies for an older vehicle — factor that in.
• The BH series registration mark exists specifically for people who move between states frequently, and avoids re-registration. Eligibility is limited to defined categories.

1. File a police report if the RC was lost or stolen, and obtain a copy.
2. Apply using Form 26 on vahan.parivahan.gov.in or at the RTO.
3. Submit the police report, identity and address proof, insurance and pollution certificate.
4. Pay the fee and collect the duplicate.
5. Meanwhile, the RC in DigiLocker is a valid electronic record and can be shown in the interim.