Centralized commercial transport authorization issued under the All India Tourist Vehicles (Permit) Rules, 2023 and Section 88(9) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 via the Parivahan portal, granting tourist buses, luxury maxi cabs, and tourist vehicles seamless inter-state passenger transit across India without physical border tax checkpost stoppages
An AITP permit holder CANNOT operate as a regular city 'Stage Carriage' (picking up and dropping individual passengers along road stops like a city bus). An AITP vehicle must operate strictly on a contract carriage basis with a pre-fixed passenger group, carrying a physical or digital Tourist Passenger Waybill. Picking up unlisted passengers en route results in permit suspension and vehicle impounding.
đĄ An All India Tourist Permit (AITP) is a unified electronic permit that allows commercial tourist vehicles to operate freely across all states and union territories in India. Introduced under the landmark AITP Rules 2023, it replaces the cumbersome practice of paying individual border entry taxes at state borders with a single online composite fee remitted directly to the Central Government via the Parivahan portal. The permit is issued for 1, 2, or 3 years (up to 5 years for buses).
Comparing commercial vehicle permits in Indian road transport.
| Permit Type | Vehicle Category | Operating Jurisdiction | Border Tax Mechanism |
|---|---|---|---|
| All India Tourist Permit (AITP) | Commercial passenger vehicles (cabs, tempo travelers, buses) | All States & Union Territories across India | Single annual online composite fee; zero border post tax |
| National Goods Permit (NP) | Commercial goods trucks and freight trailers | Nationwide interstate freight transit | Consolidated national goods permit fee paid online via Vahan |
| State Stage Carriage Permit | State transport corporation & private route buses | Designated intra-state or bilateral bus routes | Piescemeal route tax; permitted to pick up passengers at bus stops |
| Temporary Inter-State Permit | Occasional commercial passenger trips across state lines | Single round-trip transit (valid 7 to 30 days) | High daily border entry tax paid at state border checkposts |
Under the 2023 faceless rules, the AITP authorization is generated automatically and electronically within 30 minutes of online composite fee payment.
Consolidated annual composite fee varies by seating capacity: âš15,000 to âš25,000 per year for tourist cabs (up to 9 seats); âš50,000 to âš75,000 for 10â22 seater mini-buses; âš3,00,000 per year for high-capacity luxury tourist buses (>23 seats).
Registered owner of an authorized tourist motor vehicle complying with Rule 128 of CMV Rules (comfort specifications, emergency exits, AIS-140 GPS, public address system); vehicle must hold a valid fitness certificate, road tax clearance, and commercial passenger insurance.
Commercial tour operators, luxury inter-state bus fleet owners, travel agencies operating tempo travelers, and tourist cab operators ferrying passenger groups across multiple state boundaries without paying piecemeal border tax.
Visit the official MoRTH AITP portal at vahan.parivahan.gov.in/aitp and click on 'Online Permit' > 'Apply for AITP Permit & Authorization'.
Input the commercial vehicle Registration Number and the last 5 digits of the Chassis Number, then click 'Verify'.
The system cross-verifies active commercial insurance, fitness certificate, road tax status, and PUC validity across national databases.
Select the desired permit period: 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, or up to 5 years (for higher-capacity luxury tourist buses).
The portal automatically calculates the consolidated composite fee based on seating capacity. Pay via net banking, corporate credit card, or UPI through the Bharatkosh gateway.
Upon successful payment reconciliation, the digital All India Tourist Permit (Form 2) and Authorization (Form 3) are generated instantly without requiring manual RTO officer intervention.
Ensure continuity of inter-state tourist operations with timely permit renewal.
Log into the AITP portal up to 30 days prior to the permit expiration date and select 'Renewal of AITP Authorization'.
Ensure that the vehicle's periodic fitness test (Form 38) has been renewed on Vahan, as the system blocks permit renewal if fitness has expired.
Pay the annual composite permit fee online; the renewed authorization takes effect seamlessly from the date of expiry of the previous permit.
Under AITP rules, tourist buses must maintain a predominantly white body color with a continuous royal blue ribbon of 5 centimeters width painted around the exterior.
Download the official AITP permit copy for commercial transport records.
Navigate to vahan.parivahan.gov.in/aitp.
Select 'Print' from the top navigation menu and click 'Print AITP Authorization'.
Enter the Vehicle Registration Number and the AITP Application Reference Number.
Download the official digitally signed permit containing the QR code, validity dates, authorized seating capacity, and composite tax breakdown.
Standard solutions for common operational and system challenges.
| Issue / Challenge | Regulatory Root Cause | Remedial Action |
|---|---|---|
| AITP application blocked showing 'Vehicle Not Categorized as Tourist' | Vehicle Body Class in Vahan RC data | Apply to your parent RTO for 'Alteration of Vehicle / Change of Category' to update the vehicle class to 'Tourist Bus / Tourist Cab' on the Vahan database. |
| State transport officer at border demands physical road tax payment | MoRTH AITP Rules 2023 notification gazette | Show the officer the digital Form 3 AITP Authorization with QR code; cite Rule 6 of AITP Rules 2023 which strictly prohibits states from levying additional border taxes. |
| AIS-140 GPS device not pinging data to national tracking server | VLTD vendor SIM recharge and backend certification | Contact your approved VLTD vendor to verify eSIM connectivity and re-link the device to your state's Command and Control Centre. |
Yes. An All India Tourist Permit issued under the 2023 rules grants legal authorization to ply across all 28 States and 8 Union Territories in India without paying any separate state entry tax or visiting border checkposts.
No. Under the Motor Vehicles Act, an AITP vehicle is strictly a 'Contract Carriage'. It can only be hired as a whole unit by a tourist party or passenger group. Picking up individual ticketed passengers at intermediate public bus stops is illegal stage carriage operation.
Under Rule 7 of the AITP Rules 2023, a tourist vehicle cannot be operated under an AITP permit if its age exceeds 12 years (in case of tourist diesel buses/vans) or 14 years (in case of clean fuel/electric vehicles) from the date of its initial registration.
Yes. Under MoRTH green mobility initiatives, electric passenger tourist vehicles are granted significant fee concessions (up to 50% waiver on annual composite fees) to promote eco-friendly tourism.
Central statutory rules regulating seamless inter-state operation of tourist motor vehicles in India.
Statutory provisions governing national and inter-state permits for tourist vehicles.
Mandatory statutory roadworthiness certificate issued under Section 56 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and Rule 62 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 (Form 38) certifying that a commercial transport vehicle or 15-year-old private vehicle complies with mechanical safety and emission standards
Statutory clearance certificate issued under Section 48 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and Rule 58 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 (Form 28) by the parent Regional Transport Office (RTO), certifying that a motor vehicle has no pending criminal cases, unpaid road taxes, or active bank loans, permitting legal re-registration or transfer to another state or district
Permit for commercial vehicles (taxi, goods carrier)
Pollution Under Control certificate for vehicles
Mandatory insurance for motor vehicles
Vehicle road tax payment proof
Official statutory certificate issued under the Motor Vehicles (Registration and Functions of Vehicle Scrapping Facility) Rules, 2021 and Vehicle Scrappage Policy, comprising the Certificate of Deposit (CoD) and Certificate of Vehicle Scrapping (CVS) issued by a Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility (RVSF), entitling the owner to road tax waivers and new car purchase discounts
Notified by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) under the All India Tourist Vehicles (Permit) Rules, 2023 and Section 88 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
All India Tourist Permit Portal - MoRTH â