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
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
| State | RTO Code |
| Andhra Pradesh | AP |
| Assam | AS |
| Chhattisgarh | CG |
| Gujarat | GJ |
| Himachal Pradesh | HP |
| Jharkhand | JH |
| Kerala | KL |
| Maharashtra | MH |
| Meghalaya | ML |
| Haryana | HR |
| Jammu and Kashmir | JK |
| Karnataka | KA |
| Madhya Pradesh | MP |
| Manipur | MN |
| Mizoram | MZ |
| Odisha | OD |
| Punjab | PB |
| Sikkim | SK |
| Tripura | TR |
| Uttarakhand | UK |
| Telangana | TS |
| Arunachal Pradesh | AR |
| Bihar | BR |
| Goa | GA |
| Rajasthan | RJ |
| Tamil Nadu | TN |
| Uttar Pradesh | UP |
| West Bengal | WB |
| Nagaland | NL |
List of RTO Code Of Union Territories
| STATE | RTO CODE |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | AN |
| Lakshadweep | LD |
| Chandigarh | CH |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli | DN |
| Puducherry | PY |
| Daman and Diu | DD |
| Ladakh | LA |
| National Capital Territory of Delhi | DL |
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.
| Service | Fees |
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 Vehicle | Non-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 Form | Purpose | Download |
| Form 2 | Application for Learner’s/Driving Licence and renewal of DL | Download Form 2 |
| Form 4A | Application for International Driving Licence | Download Form 4A |
| Form 20 | Application for vehicle registration | Download Form 20 |
| Form 21 | Sale certificate | Download Form 21 |
| Form 23A | Certificate of registration | You can get it from the RTO |
| Form 25 | Application for renewal of Registration Certificate | Download Form 25 |
| Form 26 | Application for duplicate Registration Certificate | Download Form 26 |
| Form 28 | Application for NOC (No Objection Certificate) | Download Form 28 |
| Form 29 | Notice of vehicle ownership transfer | Download Form 29 |
| Form 34 | Application for Addition of hypothecation/lease/hire-purchase in RC | Download Form 34 |
| Form 38 | Certificate of fitness | Can be obtained from the RTO. |
| Form 51 | Certificate of insurance | Can be obtained from the insurer. |
| Form 59 | Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate | Can be obtained from the PUC testing centre. |
How to download an RTO form?
Follow these simple steps to download an RTO form.
- 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
- 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.
