Chapter IV — Registration Of Motor Vehicles
Section 41 — Registration, how to be made
Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (Act 59 of 1988)
Text of the section
Registration, how to be made.—(1) An application by or on behalf of the owner of a motor vehicle for registration shall be in such form and shall be accompanied by such documents, particulars and information and shall be made within such period as may be prescribed by the Central Government: Provided that where a motor vehicle is jointly owned by more persons than one, the application shall be made by one of them on behalf of all the owners and such applicant shall be deemed to be the owner of the motor vehicle for the purposes of this Act. (2) An application referred to in sub-section (1) shall be accompanied by such fee as may be prescribed by the Central Government. (3) The registering authority shall issue to the owner of a motor vehicle registered by it a certificate of registration in such form and containing such particulars and information and in such manner as may be prescribed by the Central Government. (4) In addition to the other particulars required to be included in the certificate of registration, it shall also specify the type of the motor vehicle, being a type as the Central Government may, having regard to the design, construction and use of the motor vehicle, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify. (5) The registering authority shall enter the particulars of the certificate referred to in sub-section (3) in a register to be maintained in such form and manner as may be prescribed by the Central Government. (6) The registering authority shall assign to the vehicle, for display thereon, a distinguishing mark (in this Act referred to as the registration mark) consisting of one of the groups of such of those letters and followed by such letters and figures as are allotted to the State by the Central Government from time to time by notification in the Official Gazette, and displayed and shown on the motor vehicle in such form and in such manner as may be prescribed by the Central Government. (7) A certificate of registration issued under sub-section (3), whether before or after the commencement of this Act, in respect of a motor vehicle, other than a transport vehicle, shall, subject to the provisions contained in this Act, be valid only for a period of fifteen years from the date of issue of such certificate and shall be renewable. (8) An application by or on behalf of the owner of a motor vehicle, other than a transport vehicle, for the renewal of a certificate of registration shall be made within such period and in such form, containing such particulars and information as may be prescribed by the Central Government. (9) An application referred to in sub-section (8) shall be accompanied by such fee as may be prescribed by the Central Government. (10) Subject to the provisions of section 56, the registering authority may, on receipt of an application under sub-section (8), renew the certificate of registration for a period of five years and intimate the fact to the original registering authority, if it is not the original registering authority. (11) If the owner fails to make an application under sub-section (1), or, as the case may be, under sub-section (8) within the period prescribed, the registering authority may, having regard to the circumstances of the case, require the owner to pay, in lieu of any action that may be taken against him under section 177, such amount not exceeding one hundred rupees as may be prescribed under sub- section (13): Provided that action under section 177 shall be taken against the owner where the owner fails to pay the said amount. (12) Where the owner has paid the amount under sub-section (11), no action shall be taken against him under section 177. (13) For the purposes of sub-section (11), the State Government may prescribe different amounts having regard to the period of delay on the part of the owner in making an application under sub-section (1) or sub-section (8). (14) An application for the issue of a duplicate certificate of registration shall be made to the 1[
Reproduced from the India Code text of the Act. Bracketed superscript numerals are the official footnote markers for earlier amendments.
Amended by the 2019 Amendment Act
In section 41 of the principal Act,–– (i) in sub-section (1), after the proviso, the following proviso shall be inserted, namely:— “Provided further that in the case of a new motor vehicle, the application for registration in the State shall be made by the dealer of such motor vehicle, if the new motor vehicle is being registered in the same State in which the dealer is situated.”; (ii) in sub-section (3),–– (a) for the words “to the owner of a motor vehicle registered by it a certificate of registration”, the words “a certificate of registration in the name of the owner” shall be substituted; Amendment of section 27. Amendment of section 28. Amendment of section 40. Amendment of section 41. (iii) in sub-section (6), the following proviso shall be inserted, namely:— “Provided that in case of a new motor vehicle, the application for the registration of which is made under the second proviso to sub-section (1), such motor vehicle shall not be delivered to the owner until such registration mark is displayed on the motor vehicle in such form and manner as may prescribed by the Central Government.”; (iv) in sub-section (7),— (a) the words “other than a transport vehicle” shall be omitted; and (b) after the words “date of issue of such certificate”, the words “or for such period as may be prescribed by the Central Government” shall be inserted; (v) in sub-section (8), the words “other than a transport vehicle,” shall be omitted; (vi) in sub-section (10),— (a) for the words “for a period of five years”, the words “for such period, as may be prescribed by the Central Government” shall be substituted; (b) the following proviso shall be inserted, namely:— “Provided that the Central Government may prescribe different period of renewal for different types of motor vehicles.”; (vii)
This is the amending instruction from the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 32 of 2019), quoted verbatim. Read it together with the text above — the consolidated version is the section as it reads once these changes are applied.
Before you rely on this. The base text above is the Act as consolidated by the India Code, which predates the 2019 amendment; any 2019 change is shown separately rather than merged in. Later amendments may also apply. For anything official, read the current text on the e-Gazette or the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways site.
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