How To Check Vahan/Vehicle Registration Status Online

The government of India gave responsibility for registering and licensing motor vehicles to state governments according to the Motor Vehicle (MV) Act 1988. This MV Act in 1988 was a replacement for the British government’s MV Act of 1914. And now it is mandatory for every Indian citizen to have registered their vehicle with the government in order to ride it on India’s roads. For that, you can take a detour to your nearest RTO (Regional Transport Office). Since it is the state government’s responsibility to register new vehicles and provide licensing, that’s why you’ll find RTOs in every district in every state. 

If you’ve recently bought a new or second-hand vehicle and you want it to be properly registered and get the RC, then this post is only for you. We’ll be taking a look at some of the common questions people ask when applying for RC. Along with that, we’ll show you how you can easily check your vehicle’s RC status online without any issues. There will be some factors that are highly considerable when going through the registration process, so we’ll keep an eye on that as well. Now it’s time. Let’s get going and talk about some interesting things about vehicle registrations in India. 

How to Check RC Status Online Easily?

Once you have received the RC certificate’s hard copy and SmartCard via mail, you can now be sure that your RC status has been updated online. By any chance, if you lose your RC or you forget to carry it, you’ll still be able to verify your ownership and the registration of your vehicle. For this, you can simply use the VAHAN portal, which is a flagship e-Governance application under the National Transport Project. Below, we’ve mentioned how you can use VAHAN to check your RC status step-by-step. 

  • To begin, go to the URL listed below and create an account. Just enter your mobile number and email address to register on the VAHAN portal.

URL: https://vahan.parivahan.gov.in/nrservices/faces/user/citizen/citizenlogin.xhtml

  • Next, simply login to your newly created account and navigate to “Check RC Status” in the main menu.
  • On the next page, there will be a box to input the number plate or registration number. Do that and proceed next. 
  • Now, you’ll be able to fetch all the details regarding the number plate or registration number you have entered. 

Other Services For Checking RC Status Online

There are some other authentic services to check your vehicle’s RC status online with SMS and mobile apps. But keep in mind that not all of these services are genuine, and if you don’t focus on this aspect, then these third-party services can steal your personal information.

Well, you may think these details are not that significant, but the thing is that these third-party services sell your personal data to other companies. And this way, you’ll get tonnes of emails, SMS, and even phone calls from different companies and fraudsters. In our opinion, it is not necessary to access RC status online; just use the VAHAN portal and you’ll be good for the most part. 

Why Vehicle Registration Certificate (RC) Is Required In The First Place?

Well, there are some scenarios when RC can come in handy. However, it is mandatory for you to keep it with you whenever you ride your vehicle. Let’s have a look at some scenarios when RC can really save the day. 

Buying Second-Hand Vehicles

There are thousands of vehicles bought and sold every single day in India, and if you’re buying a second-hand vehicle by yourself, you should consider a few things related to the RC. Well, first of all, you should always make sure to check whether the person who’s selling you this vehicle is the actual owner or not. You can simply use the VAHAN portal for this. Just head over to the VAHAN portal website and put in the number plate to get the owner’s information. This way, you can avoid getting scammed because there are so many fraudulent second-hand vehicle sellers. 

Lost/Stolen Vehicles

It’s quite common in India that somebody’s vehicle gets stolen, and if that’s what happened to you, then you should file a report with the authorities as soon as possible. And here comes the role of the registration certificate. You can give the RC and number plate of your vehicle to the police when filing the report. The police will first cross-check whether you’re the actual owner of the vehicle or not, and if you’re the owner, they’ll proceed with their investigation. 

Hit-and-Run Case

Since India tops the list of busiest roads in the world, it is not a surprise that cases like Hit-And-Run happen quite often. There are higher chances that you have witnessed it multiple times because it is that common. However, as a responsible citizen of India, you should note down the number plate of the vehicle at fault and report it to the police. Mostly, people just flee the scene after hitting another vehicle or person, but if you have their number plate noted, then you can really help police locate that vehicle’s owner and treat him/her accordingly. 

Accident Situations

Road accidents are extremely unfortunate and should never happen to anyone. However, in the case of minor accidents, if you want to claim your vehicle’s insurance, you must provide proof of ownership to the insurance companies; otherwise, you will not receive your vehicle’s insurance. That is why you should always drive a registered vehicle so that you can get your vehicle back on the road after a minor accident using insurance money.

How to Apply for a New RC at the Regional Transport Office?

Nowadays, for vehicles such as cars and bikes, you don’t need to apply for RC by yourself because the dealers handle all that process. But it is always good to get to know about the process so that in the future if you have to apply for RC by yourself at a nearby RTO, you won’t have any issues regarding that. Let’s quickly go over the process of applying for RC at the Regional Transport Office. 

  • First of all, you must visit the RTO with the vehicle you want to register. 
  • Once you’re there with your vehicle, get the vehicle registration form and fill it with all the information required. 
  • Once you submit the filled form, the RTO superintendent will inspect or scrutinise the document. You will need to pay a certain amount as per your vehicle type to the RTO, so do that and the process will proceed to the next step. 
  • It is the time when your new vehicle will be inspected by the Inspector of Motor Vehicles (IMV).
  • The RTO office will enter the vehicle data into the central database, and the superintendent will double-check the data.
  • The registration will then be approved by the Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO). The RTO office will then initiate the Smart Card process, and once completed, it will be mailed to the applicant’s registered mailing address.

Multiple Forms You Can Fill Out At The RTO For Different Certificates

The Regional Transport Office handles not just the registration of a new vehicle; there are a few other important certificates you can get for your vehicle. It is always good to learn about such forms because you don’t know when you might need any of these certificates. Below we have listed all the forms that you can fill out at your nearby RTO. 

  • Application for registration of a new vehicle
  • Sale Certificate
  • Certificate of Registration
  • Registration of a Motor Vehicle
  • Notice of vehicle ownership transfer
  • Inspection report
  • A Bill of Lading
  • Insurance Certificate
  • An accident information report
  • A foreign insurance certificate

Let’s sum up this post, so we have shared all the necessary information regarding vehicle registration or RC Status. Now you can easily get your hands on your Vahan/Vehicle’s RC status anytime you want.