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Vehicle Fitness

A certificate of fitness for vehicles is a government issued document that officiates that the vehicle is fit to be driven on the roads in terms of the vehicle's overall health. As per the law, it is mandatory to have a fitness certificate for commercial vehicles as well as private vehicles.

Vehicle fitness certificate


In order to ensure that vehicles that ply on the roads in India are functioning under optimum conditions, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has laid down rules that mandate vehicle owners to have certain certifications for their vehicle, related to its health and functioning. One such very important certificate is the Vehicle Fitness Certificate. As per the Motor Vehicles Act, 1989, the registration of a vehicle is considered valid only if the vehicle has a valid Vehicle Fitness Certificate to its name. A certificate of fitness for vehicles is a government issued document that officiates that the vehicle is fit to be driven on the roads in terms of the vehicle’s overall health. As per the law, it is mandatory to have a fitness certificate for commercial vehicles as well as private vehicles. Know all about two wheeler fitness certificate, four wheeler fitness certificate, procedure of renewal of fitness certificate and the fines if you fail to have a valid fitness certificate.

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How to Get a Vehicle Fitness Certificate?

In order to get a vehicle fitness certificate for your vehicle, the government of India has made the process simple with the launch of its Parivahan Sewa online portal. You can apply for the same online by filling up the vehicle fitness certificate form, and then visiting your zonal Regional Transport Office (RTO) to provide the remaining documents. You can apply for a vehicle fitness certificate online by following the steps below:

  • Step 1: Log on to the Parivahan Sewa portal
  • Step 2: Enter your vehicle’s registration number
  • Step 3: Click ‘Proceed’ on the pop-up box
  • Step 4: Go to Online Services on the menu bar
  • Step 5: From the drop down menu, select ‘Application for Fitness Certificate’
  • Step 6: You will then be prompted to fill in your Chassis number and your registered mobile number, after which click on ‘Generate OTP’
  • Step 7: After entering the OTP received, fill out all the required vehicle information and insurance details, along with the fee information for the application
  • Step 8: Click on the ‘Payment’ button to make the required payment online

After your payment is successfully completed, you will receive a digital receipt along with the application letter. Post completion of the above mentioned steps, you need to visit the zonal RTO to obtain your online vehicle fitness certificate. At the RTO, you need to produce the fee receipt and the application letter at the fitness counter, along with the following documents:

  • Original registration certificate of the vehicle
  • Vehicle’s insurance certificate
  • Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate of the vehicle

How to Check the Fitness Certificate of Your Vehicle Online?

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways curated the Parivahan Sewa portal to digitise the entire ecosystem of transportation and information in the country. From checking your vehicle fitness certificate validity, to guiding you through how to download fitness certificate of vehicle online, to checking your car fitness certificate, or vehicle fitness certificate for CVs, the portal offers all the information with a few clicks. To check the fitness certificate of your vehicle online, you need to visit the Parivahan Sewa portal, enter your vehicle’s registration number, full chassis number and engine number, after which you can see all the vehicle details, including its fitness certificate.

List of Documents Required for Vehicle Fitness Certificate

To apply for a RTO fitness certificate online, you need to have the following documents in place:

  • Form 20
  • Form 21
  • Form 22
  • Receipt of road tax paid
  • Original registration certificate of the vehicle
  • Valid insurance certificate
  • Valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate
  • Certificate of permit
  • A pencil imprint of the motor vehicle chassis
  • Valid address proof
  • Valid identification proof
  • Passport sized photographs
  • Temporary registration, if any

After submitting the above documents, your vehicle will receive a fitness certificate RTO provides. Your vehicle will be reviewed by a Motor Vehicle Examiner during its first registration.

How to Renew Fitness Certificate of a Vehicle

As per the guidelines, different classes of vehicles have a different validity for their vehicle fitness certificate. So according to that, their eligibility to apply for a fitness certificate RTO also differs. For instance, private vehicles have a vehicle fitness certificate validity for up to 15 years, post which it is valid for every 5 years after renewal. In case of commercial vehicles, the validity of the vehicle fitness certificate is for 2 years, and is then renewed for a year’s time.

The documents required for fitness certificate renewal are:

  • Form 25
  • Registration certificate of the vehicle
  • Proof of road tax duly paid

The procedure of renewal of fitness certificate is very simple. On taking your vehicle, and the documents mentioned above, to the concerned RTO, it will be subject to an inspection by the Motor Vehicles Department. After the inspection, the details will be submitted on the Vahan website. After reviewing the vehicle details, and the application fee, the RTO officer will issue a renewed vehicle fitness certificate to you.

RTO Fines for Not Having a Valid Fitness Certificate

Just as not having a valid registration certificate, PUC certificate, or other vehicle documents can have you paying a hefty penalty, not having a valid fitness certificate can also have you looking at heavy fines. According to the Motor Vehicle Act, 1989, failure to produce a fitness certificate levies a fine of Rs. 100/- for the first offence. The amount increases to Rs. 300/- for the subsequent offences. The fine for not having a valid vehicle fitness certificate ranges between Rs. 2,000/- and Rs. 5,000/-.

The documents required for fitness certificate renewal are:

  • Form 25
  • Registration certificate of the vehicle
  • Proof of road tax duly paid

The procedure of renewal of fitness certificate is very simple. On taking your vehicle, and the documents mentioned above, to the concerned RTO, it will be subject to an inspection by the Motor Vehicles Department. After the inspection, the details will be submitted on the Vahan website. After reviewing the vehicle details, and the application fee, the RTO officer will issue a renewed vehicle fitness certificate to you.

FAQs

What is the validity of my vehicle fitness certificate?

As mentioned before, the validity of the vehicle fitness certificate depends on the class of vehicle. For new private vehicles, the validity of the vehicle fitness certificate is up to 15 years, and then for 5 years for subsequent renewals. In case of commercial vehicles, vehicle fitness certificate validity is at 2 years, post which it is renewed for 1 year subsequently.

Apart from the vehicle’s documents, in order to procure a vehicle fitness certificate, you need to submit the following forms:
  • Form 20
  • Form 21
  • Form 22

In order to get a fitness certificate for car after 15 years, you need to apply for a fitness certificate renewal. After submitting the required documents, you will have a renewed online car fitness certification that will be valid for subsequent 5 years.

You can apply for a duplicate vehicle fitness certificate in case of loss, theft, or damage to the original certificate. To do so, you need to submit the following documents to the zonal RTO:
  • Application stating the date of issue/expiry of certificate of fitness
  • Road tax clearance report
  • Copy of the FIR
  • Challan clearance
  • Photocopy of original fitness certificate
  • Application fee of Rs. 120/-

Yes. In case the performance and health of your vehicle is not fit and in compliance with the RTO standards, the RTO can cancel the fitness certificate of your vehicle.

To get a fresh vehicle fitness certificate for your car and/or bike, you will have to pay a fee ranging from Rs. 100/- to Rs. 300/- only.

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