Before Purchasing A Car
Every driver needs to hold a valid driving license while driving a car on Indian roads. There are different types of driving license based on the purpose of driving, example – commercial driving license. RTO issues a learner’s license before conducting a test to issue a permanent driving license.
You need to officially apply to your nearest RTO for a driving license. Nowadays, a lot of the processes associated with the RTO have been digitized. Thus, you can download forms from the RTO website and track RTO online application status, etc. as well.
During Purchasing A Car
You need to register your car at an RTO when you purchase it. Your car will be allotted an RTO registration number. This RTO registration number eventually needs to be displayed on the new car’s number plate. Formalities related to vehicle excise duty also need to be performed at the RTO. Usually, the showroom from where you purchase the car coordinates with the RTO for basic documentation.
Once all the necessary details are submitted and all formalities are completed, the RTO shall issue a Vehicle Registration Certificate. Previously, this certificate was issued in the form of a small diary or a bunch of papers. Currently, most RTOs issue this certificate in the form of a Smart Card.
After Purchasing A Car
In case of an unfortunate event, if you misplace your important RTO-related documents, you need to get in touch with your nearest RTO for duplicate documents. Driving license also comes with an expiry date. You need to renew your driving license in a timely manner by visiting your nearest RTO. Just as a valid driving license is important for driving a car in India, purchasing a car insurance in India is also mandatory.
Car insurance in India is dependent upon several factors such as your car’s make, model, variant, your claim history, registration year, etc. If you move around from one Indian state to another for a longer period of time, you need to get a No Objection Certificate from your original RTO regarding your car. Offences related to a car are recorded in the RTO’s database and thus a crosscheck becomes mandatory before a car can be deregistered from one RTO and needs to be registered in a different RTO.
Accountability and Transparency
In pursuit of ensuring accountability and promoting transparency, RTOs are moving from the traditional paper-based set up to a digital process. RTOs under major Indian cities have already transformed their working thanks to digitization initiatives. Such a move was made to curb corruption and make processes related to RTO customer friendly. RTOs in tier 2 cities are also working towards revamping their functioning.
You as an Indian citizen also need to support this ‘transparency and accountability’ by not engaging in any corrupt activities regarding RTO documentation. You need to be completely honest while filling forms and declaring any kind of information while dealing with an RTO.
