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
Form 28 must be prepared in triplicate (3 physical copies) with the physical pencil tracing of the vehicle's chassis number clearly imprinted across each copy. Furthermore, if your vehicle was financed through a bank loan, you CANNOT obtain an RTO NOC without first submitting a formal Bank NOC (Form 35 / Loan Closure Certificate) to clear hypothecation.
💡 An RTO No Objection Certificate (Form 28) is a mandatory clearance issued in triplicate by your parent RTO confirming that your vehicle has no outstanding traffic challans, no unpaid road taxes, no active bank loans, and is not wanted in any criminal or theft case. It is legally required under Section 48 of the Motor Vehicles Act whenever a vehicle is permanently relocated or sold to a buyer in another state, enabling the destination RTO to assign a fresh state registration mark (number plate).
Understanding statutory RTO forms involved in vehicle relocation and sale.
| RTO Form | Statutory Title | Primary Purpose | Key Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form 28 | No Objection Certificate (NOC) | Clears vehicle for inter-state transfer or out-of-district sale | Submitted in triplicate with chassis pencil imprints and NCRB clearance |
| Form 29 | Notice of Transfer of Ownership | Seller intimates RTO that vehicle has been sold and delivered | Protects seller from legal liabilities arising post-sale |
| Form 30 | Application for Transfer of Ownership | Buyer requests RTO to transfer RC into their name | Submitted within 14 days (intra-state) or 45 days (inter-state) |
| Form 35 | Notice of Termination of Hypothecation | Removes bank loan lien from the Registration Certificate | Signed by bank manager with official loan clearance stamp |
Online application takes 10 minutes on Parivahan; RTO issues the verified Form 28 NOC within 7 to 15 working days following physical chassis inspection and police verification.
Statutory government application fee of ₹100 for two-wheelers and ₹100 to ₹300 for four-wheelers/commercial vehicles payable online via Parivahan.
Registered owner of the vehicle; vehicle must not be involved in any reported police theft/accident case (verified via NCRB/State Crime Records); all quarterly/lifetime state road taxes must be cleared; any active bank hypothecation must be released or backed by a formal Bank NOC.
Vehicle owners relocating permanently to another state or union territory; individuals selling a used car or two-wheeler to a buyer residing in another state or different RTO jurisdiction; commercial fleet operators re-assigning transport permits across state lines.
Visit parivahan.gov.in (or vahan.parivahan.gov.in/vahanservice) and input your Vehicle Registration Number to open the vehicle services dashboard.
Choose 'Online Services' > 'Application for No Objection Certificate'. Authenticate using the last 5 digits of your chassis number and mobile OTP.
Specify the exact Destination State and the specific Destination RTO Office where the vehicle will be re-registered, along with the new owner's / new address details.
Pay the statutory fee (₹100 to ₹300) online and download the generated Application Receipt and pre-filled Form 28.
Print Form 28 in triplicate. Take a pencil rubbing of the vehicle's embossed chassis number directly onto the designated box on all three sheets. Submit the physical dossier along with the original RC to your parent RTO.
The RTO verifies crime records, strikes off local jurisdiction, and hands over two copies of the signed, stamped Form 28 NOC to the owner, retaining one copy for departmental records.
If your relocation or sale falls through after obtaining an NOC, you must formally cancel it.
Visit the destination RTO for which the NOC was originally issued. Submit an application requesting a 'Non-Utilization Certificate / Non-Objection' confirming that the vehicle was NEVER registered there.
Take both original copies of the unused Form 28 NOC and the Non-Utilization Certificate back to your original parent RTO.
Submit an affidavit on ₹100 stamp paper stating the genuine reason why the vehicle was not relocated or sold.
The parent RTO cancels the NOC entry on the national Vahan database, restoring active local registration.
Track your application progress and retrieve the digital NOC entry online.
Navigate to vahan.parivahan.gov.in and click on 'Know Your Application Status'.
Enter the Application Number received during online fee payment and solve the security captcha.
Track individual milestones: 'Document Verification Completed', 'Police Report Cleared', and 'NOC Approved'.
Once approved, the Vahan national registry displays an electronic tag: 'NOC Issued to [Destination RTO]'; print the status page for your records.
Standard solutions when vehicle NOC applications face procedural blocks.
| Obstacle / Issue | Root Cause | Remedial Action |
|---|---|---|
| NOC rejected due to 'Blacklist / Challan Alert' on Vahan | Pending camera challan or unpaid state border tax | Visit echallan.parivahan.gov.in, clear all pending penalties, and obtain an electronic 'Clean Slate' receipt to unblock the application. |
| Financier bank closed down or merged with another bank | RBI bank merger circular or official asset takeover records | Approach the successor entity / merged bank branch with your original loan account number to obtain an updated Form 35 and NOC. |
| NOC issued for wrong destination RTO by clerical typo | Destination RTO code printed on Form 28 | Do not submit to the wrong RTO; return the incorrect Form 28 to the parent RTO with a correction request letter to re-issue for the correct destination code. |
Generally, if you are relocating within the same state and only changing addresses, a full Form 28 NOC is not mandatory in states where Vahan database is fully integrated; a simple 'Change of Address in RC' application suffices. However, if the vehicle is being sold to a buyer in a different district, some states still require an intra-state NOC.
An RTO Form 28 NOC does not explicitly have a printed expiry date under the Motor Vehicles Act; however, destination RTOs generally require re-registration to be initiated within 6 months of NOC issuance. Beyond 6 months, late re-registration penalties apply.
Yes. After you pay the road tax and register the vehicle at the destination RTO, obtain certified copies of the new Registration Certificate. Submit Form DT (Tax Refund Application) along with the new RC and original road tax receipt to your parent RTO to claim a proportionate refund for the remaining years of lifetime tax.
No. Under Section 48 of the Motor Vehicles Act, the destination RTO cannot legally transfer ownership or assign a new registration mark without the official Form 28 NOC issued by the original registering authority.
Statutory provisions governing the issuance of No Objection Certificates for motor vehicles.
Procedures, forms, and conditions for obtaining Form 28 vehicle clearance.
Mandatory statutory forms executed under Section 50 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and Rules 55 & 57 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, comprising Form 29 (Seller's Notice of Transfer) and Form 30 (Buyer's Application for Transfer of Ownership), legally transferring title, possession, and third-party accident liabilities
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
Guide to obtain duplicate driving license or RC
Pollution Under Control certificate for vehicles
Mandatory insurance for motor vehicles
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
Official certified evidentiary transcript issued by the Regional Transport Office (RTO) under Rule 23 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 (Form 54 / B-Register Extract), documenting an individual's complete driving history, original issue dates, vehicle class endorsements, and disciplinary records
Issued by State Transport Departments through Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) under Section 48 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and Rule 58 of CMV Rules.
Parivahan Sewa - Vehicle NOC Services →