A NOC or No Objection Certificate is a legal document that acts as permission for a concerned vehicle to be released from its current jurisdiction authority. NOCs are issued by the Regional Transport Office or RTO from where the vehicle was originally registered. A NOC ensures that a vehicle’s registration is cleared from its initial jurisdiction and is open to being registered at any other RTO in the country. The NOC also acts as proof of clearance of all liabilities such as taxes Challan’s and other dues.

Obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the RTO is an important step that many vehicle owners often overlook when shifting from one state to another. Of course you won’t require this document if you don’t plan to live at the new location for long but one needs to transfer the registration of his vehicle from one state to another if he plans to relocate for good. Basically if you are going to use your vehicle in a new state or union territory for less than 3 months you have no requirement of transferring the registration of the vehicle to the new RTO.

However if you plan to move to a new state or UT for over a year it is mandated by the law to change the registration of the vehicle to the new RTO. While this rule is not strictly followed in many states it pays to follow this regulation to avoid unnecessary hassles at the time of claiming insurance etc. An important point here is that before you can apply for registration in a new state you need to obtain a NOC from the original RTO.

Basically a No Objection Certificate (NOC) is a legal document from the original RTO that allows the re-registration of the vehicle at the new transport office. It may be noted here that providing NOC is mandatory when filing for the re-registration of the vehicle. NOC provides proof that there are no challans or other dues that the owner of the vehicle is liable to pay.

When is a NOC Required?

According to the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988 anyone looking to relocate or sell their vehicle from one state/Union Territory to another must have a valid No Objection Certificate prepared. Here are some of the cases where a NOC is required:

• Transfer of Ownership
• Purchase or sale of a vehicle.
• Death of vehicle owner.
• Auction of a vehicle.

If the buyer of a vehicle in these above-mentioned cases resides in a different RTO from the one in which the vehicle was registered they must obtain a NOC from the RTO under their jurisdiction.

How to Get NOC from RTO?

To get NOC from RTO the owner of the vehicle needs to follow the following steps-

• Visit the local RTO personally and submit the application for the NOC
• Next submit duly-filled A Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Form 38 along with the documents required by the RTO
• The owner of the vehicle will need to visit the local RTO in person to submit the application for the NOC.
• The completed CMV Form 28 needs to be submitted along with various important documents. You can download this form here.
• Next you need to pay Rs 100 to the RTO as the fee for the NOC application.
• After the submission of the NOC application to the RTO the transport office will obtain a report of the vehicle from the local police authority to ensure the vehicle is not involved in any criminal case
• Once the RTO has ascertained that there are no pending dues or DSL cases against the vehicle the No Objection Certificate is issued along with a receipt of clearance.

Please note that the RTO will take up to 3 working days to issue the No Objection Certificate after the submission of all the required documents.

Here is a list of documents that are required to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the RTO-

1. Vehicle’s original Registration Certificate (RC)
2. The valid Insurance Policy document
3. Permit and fitness certificate in case of commercial vehicles
4. Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate
5. Consent of Financier on CMV Form 28 in case the concerned vehicle is covered by Hypothecation or a lease agreement
6. Pencil print of the chassis number for the CMV Form 28 .
7. Photo identity and address proof

A No Objection Certificate is valid for a maximum of 6 (six) months. Once the certificate is obtained the vehicle has to be re-registered in the new jurisdiction RTO within those 6 months. If it is not done within that time the document becomes invalid and a fresh application has to be made. It is the same with the buyer as they have to obtain a NOC from the RTO in their jurisdiction and register the vehicle under the same before the 6 months are over.

A No Objection Certificate (NOC) remains valid for a period of 6 months. After the expiration of the NOC you won’t be able to use the document for the re-registration of the vehicle at the new RTO. Also it must be noted that NOC from the RTO is not only required when you need to transfer the registration of the vehicle from one RTO to another but also when a new owner is required to register the car at the RTO near his home. In fact things are a bit complicated with interstate vehicle transfers. Hence it pays to obtain NOC from RTO before you sell the vehicle to someone who plans to transfer the ownership in a different state.

Documents for Vehicle Re-Registration (Interstate Transfer):

1. Original RC from another state
2. Form 20 - Form of Application For Registration of a Motor Vehicle
3. NOC from previous RTO
4. Form 27 - Application for Assignment of New Registration Mark to a Motor Vehicle
5. Form 33 - Intimation of Chang of Address Recording in the Certificate of Registration and Office Record
6. Attested copy of address proof
7. Attested copy of the valid driving license of car owner
8. Attested copy of PUC Certificate
9. PAN Card Form 60 or Form 61 .
10. Passport-size photos of the applicant

Lending bank NOC if the vehicle is under a loan After the submission of the above documents the new registration number is issued in a few weeks. Also inform the insurance company of the re-registration to get the policy document updated.

You can apply for a refund for the road tax paid to the original RTO for the initial registration of the vehicle. The time limit for applying for a refund differs from one state to another and the process for a refund can be initiated soon after relocating to a new state or UT after obtaining the NOC. However please note that only the original owner of the vehicle can apply for a refund.

Can a NOC be Obtained Online?

While online NOCs have not been enabled by all states in India many do offer the service through the Parivahan portal of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways website.

1. Visit Parivahan Website.
2. Hover over the 'Online Services' and select 'Vehicle Related Services' .
3. the 'Online Services and select 'Vehicle Related Services .
4. Select the State where you wish to re-register the vehicle.
5. Enter the RTO under your jurisdiction.
6. On the next page select 'Application for No Objection Certificate .
7. Enter the Vehicle Registration No. and Chassis Number (Last 5 characters).
8. Click on 'Verify Details' .
9. Check all the details and proceed to fill in all the details.
10. Upload all documents requested.
11. Pay the required fees for NOC application.

Once the payment is complete save and print the application form and the receipt.

Submit the application form and the receipt when you visit the RTO in person.