What Is RTO: Everything You Need To Know

What is RTO: Everything You Need To Know
By - Sukanya Bose
October 25, 2022

According to a report by Statista, the total vehicle population in India was 295.77 million as of 2019. This number would be greater in 2022 as new cars continue to be bought and driven. With a large population of vehicles on the road, it is essential to keep a record of the vehicles and their drivers. This is where the RTO plays a crucial role in maintaining these details and conducting essential duties to keep track of the vehicles.

Many of us would be familiar with the driving test we completed at our nearest RTO but there are other responsibilities that this organization handles. In this article, we have laid down the full form of RTO, its responsibilities, the fees and charges, as well as the RTO codes for different states to give you everything you need to know.

What is RTO and its full form?

The full form of RTO stands for Regional Transport Office, also known as Regional Transport Authority of India (RTA), whose parent agency is the Ministry Of Road Transport and Highways. The RTO is a Government run department that takes care of vehicle-related services and maintains the database of drivers and their automobiles. The Regional Transport Office follows the guidelines of the Motor Vehicles Act of India, 1988, and functions accordingly, having offices in every State and Union Territory of India and has multiple DTOs or District Transport Offices working under them. 

What are the responsibilities of the RTO?

  • Regional Transport Office issues and renews Drivers licence – RTO issues new driving licences, renews licence, issues duplicate licence, and conducts driving tests.  
  • Registering new vehicles – All new vehicles have to be registered at the local RTO and then the license plate is issued. It also issues and renews registration certificates of vehicles. 
  • Transfers vehicle ownership – helps in transferring the ownership of vehicles or Registration Certificate (RC) of a vehicle. 
  • Maintaining vehicle and driver database which helps to provide information about the vehicle by entering the registration number.
  • Issues vehicle-related documents such as NOC (No Objection Certificate) which is required while transferring a vehicle from one state to the other or Trade certificate or Fitness certificate. 
  • Collects the road tax which is taken while the vehicle gets registered for the first time. 
  • Inspects the vehicle if it complies with the rules of the Motor Vehicles Act.
  • Takes pollution control measures by testing vehicles, testing for the issuance of a PUC (Pollution Under Control) certificate and checking the CNG/LPG kit installation.
  • Gives permits for commercial/transport vehicles. 
  • Takes care of the road safety measures such as the various safety signs on the roads, working for the improvement of road conditions and increasing awareness about road safety.

List of RTO State And Union Territory Codes of India

RTO

The Regional Transport Office codes are different for each state and union territory in India which is visible on the vehicle registration plates. The different codes help to identify under which RTO the vehicle has been registered. Check the tables below to find out on the list of Regional Transport Office codes of each State and Union Territories. 

List Of RTO State Codes Of India

StateRTO Code
Andhra PradeshAP
AssamAS
ChhattisgarhCG
GujaratGJ
Himachal PradeshHP
JharkhandJH
Kerala KL
MaharashtraMH
MeghalayaML
HaryanaHR
Jammu and KashmirJK
KarnatakaKA
Madhya PradeshMP
ManipurMN
MizoramMZ
OdishaOD
PunjabPB
SikkimSK
TripuraTR
UttarakhandUK
TelanganaTS
Arunachal PradeshAR
BiharBR
GoaGA
RajasthanRJ
Tamil NaduTN
Uttar PradeshUP
West BengalWB
NagalandNL

List of RTO Code Of Union Territories

STATERTO CODE
Andaman and Nicobar IslandsAN
LakshadweepLD
ChandigarhCH
Dadra and Nagar HaveliDN
PuducherryPY
Daman and DiuDD
LadakhLA
National Capital Territory of DelhiDL

RTO Fees And Charges

The RTO fees may differ as they are subject to change and can be different from one state to the other. 

ServiceFees 

Issuance of Learner’s Licence (LL)
₹150
Test/repeat test for the issuance of Driving Licence (DL)₹300
Issuance/renewal of DL₹200
Issuance of International Driving Licence₹1000
Renewal of DL after grace period₹300 (₹1000 for delay of each year)
Addition of vehicle class in DL₹500
Registration of two-wheeler (motorcycle)₹300
Registration of Light Motor VehicleNon-Transport – ₹600Transport – ₹1000
Registration of medium passenger vehicle₹1000
Registration of heavy passenger vehicle₹1500
Registration of imported four-wheeler₹5000
Registration of imported two-wheeler₹2500
Issuance/renewal of Fitness Certificate₹200

RTO Forms

The below table provides the links for the various RTO forms and explains, in brief, the purpose of each. 

RTO FormPurpose Download
Form 2Application for Learner’s/Driving Licence and renewal of DLDownload Form 2
Form 4AApplication for International Driving LicenceDownload Form 4A
Form 20Application for vehicle registrationDownload Form 20
Form 21Sale certificateDownload Form 21
Form 23ACertificate of registrationYou can get it from the RTO
Form 25Application for renewal of Registration CertificateDownload Form 25
Form 26Application for duplicate Registration CertificateDownload Form 26
Form 28Application for NOC (No Objection Certificate)Download Form 28
Form 29Notice of vehicle ownership transferDownload Form 29
Form 34Application for Addition of hypothecation/lease/hire-purchase in RCDownload Form 34
Form 38Certificate of fitnessCan be obtained from the RTO.
Form 51Certificate of insuranceCan be obtained from the insurer.
Form 59Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificateCan be obtained from the PUC testing centre.

How to download an RTO form?

Follow these simple steps to download an RTO form.

RTO

  • Step 1: Visit the Parivahan Website
  • Step 2: Click on the option ‘Informational Services on the top menu
  • Step 3: Next, click on the option ‘Downloadable Forms and then click on ‘All Forms’ from the drop-down menu

RTO

  • Step 4: A new page will open where you can view the list of forms with a download link. The category and purpose for each form will also be mentioned next to them. 

RTO Vehicle Information Mobile App

‘mParivahan’ developed by NIC (National Informatics Centre) is the official Regional Transport Office vehicle information app that can be used to avail necessary documents like driving license, vehicle registration, insurance validity, etc. One can also generate a virtual RC and Driving License which is considered authentic proof. The app has various functions and is available on both Android and iOS. One can locate their nearest Regional Transport Office (RTO), get vehicle details by entering the registration number, generate duplicate RC, NOC, etc. and get information related to RC and DL among various other things. 

Summary

Planning to transfer ownership, applying for a fresh driver’s license or renewing the registration of one’s motor vehicle, visiting the Regional Transport Office website or the RTO office is a must to ensure getting any of these things done. The above information gives you a comprehensive idea regarding the different roles of an RTO, the codes used for each States and Union Territories and other related information. 

FAQs About What RTO Is And Its Full Form

How many RTOs are there in India?

There are more than 1000 RTOs in India across the country.  

What is the role of RTO in road safety?

The RTO oversees that all motor vehicles do not over-speed and diligently follows traffic rules. It also ensures that the people obey the road safety measures and the drivers follow the rules under the Motor Vehicles Act. The RTO keeps a record of all registered vehicles that have third-party liability insurance and might cancel the driver’s license or the vehicle’s registration if found without insurance.

What is the full form of RTO?

The full form RTO is Regional Transport Office and is also known as Regional Transport Authority of india

How can I get in touch with the Regional Transport Office?

You can search on the mParivahan app for the nearest RTO office or search online for the RTO of your state or city. 

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