Section 39 of MV act prescribes that no person is allowed to drive any kind of motor vehicles unless the vehicle is registered in accordance with the regulations laid down by the Motor Vehicle Act. There are certain types of vehicles which are exempted from registration and certain state governments allow vehicles which are in possession of the dealer and waiting for delivery to be driven without registration.
Section 42, 43 and 60 says that every owner of a motor vehicle must register the vehicle at the registering authority in whose jurisdiction he has the residence or place of business where the vehicle is normally kept.
The registration application must be accompanied by documents prescribed by the central government and the application must be made by the owner of the vehicle and no one else can make it on his behalf. Some states might need some additional documents to be produced at the time of registration. Clause 41 of this chapter provides the form and fee for application for registration of motor vehicles along with the form in which the certificate of registration is to be issued by the registering authorities and the form in which the particulars of the vehicles shall be kept by the registering authorities. The registration certificate is valid for a period of 15 years and must be renewed thereafter.
The vehicles must be present at the time of registration and for inspection by the registration authorities in order for verification.
Section 50 of the MV act says that if a vehicle registered in one state needs to be kept in another state for a period exceeding 12 months then the owner of the vehicle must apply a new registration certificate . A no objection certificate from the previous RTO must be provided along with the application.
As mentioned in section 49, if the owner of a motor vehicle changes his permanent place of residence which is registered with the RTO then he must, within thirty days of any such change of address, inform the RTO of the change by means of an application and provide the necessary documents as required by the RTO.
TRANSFER OF OWNERSHP
If the vehicle changes hand then the RTO should be informed within 14 days if within the same state and 45 days if the new owner resides in a different state .If the transfer is not reported to the registering authorities within prescribed time then the owners are liable for prosecution which can be avoided if a certain amount of money is paid as prescribed by the Motor Vehicle Act.
ALTERATION IN MOTOR VEHICLE
Section 52 deals with alteration of the motor vehicle . No vehicle is allowed to be modified or altered in any way which changes the particulars mentioned in the registration certificate and as supplied by the manufacturer . If any changes are made then the RTO must be informed of these changes . An approval of the RTO must be collected before making any changes .The RTO will reply to the application within 7 days and might consult the rules laid down by the central government if necessary before giving any permission.
SUSPENSION OF REGISTRATION
In accordance with section 53 of the MV act, if the registering authority has reasons to believe that any motor vehicle within its jurisdiction may be a threat to the public if used on the roads or that it fails to comply with the requirements of the MV Act or is being, used for hire or reward without a valid permit, the registering authority may, after giving the owner a warning in writing, suspend the certificate of registration of the vehicle.
CANCELLATION OF REGISTRATION
If the suspension of registration of a vehicle under section 53 had continued without interruption for a period of not less than six months then according to the clauses laid down in section 54 of the MV act, the registration authority can cancel the registration of a particular vehicle. If the registration was cancelled by authority other than the original registering authority then the order authority will forward the request to cancel the certificate of registration to the original authority which may cancel the registration.
Clause 55 mentions provisions for the cancellations of the registration certificate of a vehicle which has been destroyed or has been rendered permanently incapable of use or has been lost and not recovered or if it is a danger to public safety. The registering authority can also cancel the registration if it is satisfied that the engine number and chassis number noted in the certificate of registration differs from that found in the vehicle, or that the registration has been obtained by misrepresentation or fraud.