The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has formally notified amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, introducing fresh provisions for the renewal of registration of vehicles that are more than 20 years old. The new regulations, called the Central Motor Vehicles (Third Amendment) Rules, 2025, will come into effect immediately following their publication in the Official Gazette.Under the amended rules, a new category has been inserted which specifies higher renewal charges for vehicles older than two decades from the date of their first registration.
As per the notification, the renewal fee for motorcycles has been fixed at Rs 2,000, for three-wheelers or quadricycles at Rs 5,000, and for light motor vehicles at Rs 10,000. Imported vehicles will attract much higher charges with two or three-wheeled ones requiring Rs 20,000 and four or more-wheeled vehicles set at Rs 80,000. Other categories of vehicles not specifically mentioned will be charged Rs 12,000, while invalid carriages will pay Rs 100.
The ministry as per the news agency Kashmir News Trust, has also clarified that the charges prescribed are exclusive of Goods and Services Tax. Officials explained that the decision to raise the renewal fee for older vehicles was taken after due consideration of objections and suggestions received from the public earlier this year when the draft rules were placed in the Gazette on February 7. The government has argued that the measure is intended to discourage prolonged use of outdated and polluting vehicles while ensuring compliance with environmental and safety norms.[KNT]
