PUC Certificate : Check your Vehicle Pollution Certificate Status online


In order to tackle the rising pollution levels across the world, many countries have opted for a standardised rule for allowed emission levels for motor vehicles. Under this rule, all motor vehicles are subjected to a test wherein their emission levels must comply with the emission norms regulated by the authorities. Once a vehicle passes through the test, they are provided with a Vehicle Pollution Certificate or a PUC Certificate. This is done to ensure that they are safe to run on the roads without contributing to air pollution. Different classes of vehicles have to apply for different vehicle PUC certificates. Know more about what are the pollution certificate for bikes, pollution certificate for cars and for heavy vehicles, the application process and the fines if your vehicle fails to comply with the emission norms.

What is a PUC Certificate?

A PUC Certificate, also known as a Pollution Under Control Certificate or a Pollution Test Certificate, is a document of approval issued by the government, which is awarded to your vehicle when the emission levels of your vehicle are recorded and found to be in compliance with the authorised emission standards. As per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Transport, under the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1989, a valid vehicle pollution certificate must be present with the driver at all times when the vehicle is on the road. Absence of a PUC certificate of vehicle will warrant heavy penalties for the driver and the owner of the vehicle.

A Vehicle PUC certificate must contain the following information:

  • Vehicle registration number
  • PUC certificate serial number
  • Date of the emission test
  • PUC certificate validity date
  • Emission level reading of the vehicle

For all vehicles plying on the road, whether a bike, a car or a heavy motor vehicle, it is mandatory to have an updated pollution certificate.

How to apply for a PUC Certificate / Pollution Certificate for your vehicle?

In case of a new vehicle, a pollution under control certificate (PUUC) is automatically provided by the dealer, which has a validity of 1 year. For existing vehicles, wondering how to get pollution certificate? Then you need to follow the steps mentioned below:

Step 1: Find a PUC centre near you. It could either be a petrol pump, a licensed auto emission testing centre or a standalone private emission testing centre.
Step 2: Get your exhaust pipe scanned by the testing executive in order to determine the emission levels of your vehicle.
Step 3: After paying the requisite fee, you will be provided with a vehicle pollution certificate with your test readings.

As of now, only the above mentioned centres and RTOs can provide a pollution certificate online. However, you can check pollution certificate online, know the validity of pollution certificate and make payment online with the online PUC certificate pariwahan sewa portal.

How to check status of pollution under control certificate or PUC online?

You can do a Pollution Under Control Certificate online check by yourself and get all information about the pollution check certificate by following the below steps:

Step 1: Visit https://vahan.parivahan.gov.in/puc
Step 2: Click on the PUC Certificate section.
Step 3: Mention your registration number and the last 5 characters of the vehicle’s chassis number, and fill in the captcha code.

Through this process, you will be able to check pollution certificate online of your vehicle and know if your vehicle’s PUCC is active, the pollution certificate validity and the readings.

In case you have made an application for a new emission testing centre, then you can check the status of your application online by:

Step 1: Visit https://vahan.parivahan.gov.in/puc
Step 2: Click on the Application Status section.
Step 3: Mention your Application ID and fill in the captcha code.

Through this, you will be able to check and know the status of your application for a new emission testing centre.

How to download PUC Certificate or Pollution Certificate online for your vehicle?

In order to make the process of PUC certificate download easier, and to help people with how to apply for pollution certificate online, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has created a dedicated online platform. To carry out the pollution certificate online download, you need to follow the following steps:

Step 1: Visit https://vahan.parivahan.gov.in/puc
Step 2: Click on the PUC Certificate section.
Step 3: Mention your registration number and the last 5 characters of the vehicle’s chassis number, and fill in the captcha code.
Step 4: You will be redirected to a page with your pollution control certificate online, if it is still under validity. There, you can Print and download your PUC certificate online.

Vehicle Pollution Certificate Validity

As the vehicle ages, the emission levels start to differ. Hence, the government has made it mandatory for the owner to get the pollution levels checked at regular intervals, and obtain a valid pollution certificate online or offline. The norms for pollution certificate validity in India are as follows:

Validity of pollution certificate for new vehicles: As mentioned previously, new vehicles come with a vehicle PUC certificate that is valid for a year’s time, after which it is subject for renewal as per the government’s guidelines.
Validity of PUC certificate for old vehicles: For old vehicles, the PUC certificate validity falls at 6 months. In case of adverse readings, the time frame of validity will depend on the pollution levels recorded.

PUC Certificate Charges for different vehicles

PUC certificate charges depend on the fuel type of the vehicle, along with the type of the vehicle. The pollution certificate for car price, the pollution certificate cost for bike and the PUC certificate price for trucks fall in the range of Rs. 60 to Rs. 100.

What are fines for not having a pollution certificate?

As per the Motor Vehicles Act, just as it is compulsory to carry your vehicle’s registration certificate, insurance details and a valid driving license, it is also mandatory to carry your vehicle’s pollution under control certificate. Failure to do so will have you booked under Section 190(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and will levy a heavy fine for not having pollution certificate with you.

Failure to produce a valid PUC certificate of vehicle entails a penalty of Rs. 1,000 for first time offenders. Charges of Rs. 2,000 are imposed as fine for expired pollution certificate for subsequent offences.

Vehicle Pollution Control Norms

The allowed levels of carbon emissions depending upon the type of vehicle are as follows:

Vehicle Type % of Carbon Monoxide Hydrocarbon measured in PPM
2 and 3 wheelers (2/4 - stroke) manufactured on or before 31st March 2000 4.5 9000
2 and 3 wheelers (2 - stroke) manufactured after 31st March 2000 3.5 6000
2 and 3 wheelers (4 - stroke) manufactured after 31st March 2000 3.5 4,500
4 wheelers manufactured according to Pre BS II Norms 3 1,500
4 wheelers manufactured according to Pre BS II, Stage III or subsequent Norms 0.5 750

FAQs

What is the full form of PUC?

The full form of PUC stands for Pollution Under Control certificate. It is an approval document issued by the government of India to vehicles that comply with the regulated emission norms and standard levels.

In order to get a pollution certificate issued for your vehicle, you need to first take your vehicle to the emission test centres mentioned above to get the emission levels checked. Once they check and issue a certificate, you can then download the pollution certificate online from the government’s Parivahan Sewa portal.

To add your pollution certificate in Digilocker, you must go through the below mentioned steps:
Step 1: Visit the Digilocker website.
Step 2: Log in to your account. You can also create a new account to proceed.
Step 3: Go to the Issued Documents section.
Step 4: Click on Check Partners section.
Step 5: For Partner Name field, select Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways, All States, and for Document Type, select Emission Certificate from the drop down menu.
Step 6: Enter your vehicle number.
With this, you can check your pollution certificate online on Digilocker, and can download it as well.

You need to get your vehicle checked for its emission levels from an authorized emission test centre to get a pollution certificate for your vehicle. No additional documents are required.

You must have a soft or a hard copy of your pollution under control certificate (PUCC) while driving. In case you misplace or destroy your pollution certificate, you can obtain a copy with the PUC certificate download feature on the Parivahan Sewa portal.

For new vehicles, the validity of PUC certificate is for a year’s time. After that, you need to get your vehicle PUC certificate renewed every six months.

Yes, every new motor vehicle requires a PUC certificate. For new vehicles, the dealers provide a pollution certificate that is valid for 1 year. Subsequently, you need to get your vehicle pollution certificate renewed after every 6 months.

In case you need to check the details of your PUC certificate, you can check and verify online on the Parivahan Sewa portal.

To renew your pollution certificate, you need to take your vehicle to the nearest emission test centre and get the emission levels checked. You will then get the PUC certificate of the vehicle after paying the required fee amount.

RTO approved PUC centres are the offices where emission tests are carried out, authorised by the RTO. You can find the list of RTO approved PUC centres according to different states on the Parivahan Sewa portal.

No, as per government’s guidelines, it is illegal to get a customised or backdated vehicle pollution certificate made. However, you can get a PUC certificate made from an emission test centre for the date of the emission test of your vehicle previously done in case you get penalised for absence of a pollution check certificate.