- By Kanika Sachdeva
- Sat, 23 Aug 2025 12:43 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Registration Renewal Fee for Vehicles: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), in a measure to create a cleaner air environment and disincentivise those holding on to vehicles manufactured before BS II emission norms kicked in, has increased the registration charges for the renewal of private motor vehicles older than 20 years. This means that having a motor vehicle more than 20 years old in your garage is now costlier.
Registration Fee for Renewal of Vehicles Over 20 Years: Some Background
The Ministry, proposing to amend the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, by introducing such a significant change, had issued the draft amendment in February 2025. And this draft was finalised a few days ago (August 21, to be precise), marking the first major update by explicitly setting fees for vehicles aged more than 20 years.
The latest development comes at a crucial time when the Union Government's ethanol-blended petrol programme is facing public backlash. This can also be seen in the context of the larger framework of the government's Vehicle Scrapping Policy, an initiative encouraging owners to replace their older vehicles with newer ones that adhere to the latest emission standards. The Policy came into effect in 2021.
Also Read: Ethanol Row: Nitin Gadkari Advocates Hydrogen As Future Fuel For Indian Automobile Industry
Registration Fee for Renewal of Vehicles Over 20 Years: New vs Old
Here's a list of different categories of vehicles over 20 years old, along with their old and new costs to compare:
| Category | New Fee | Old Fee |
| Motorcycle | Rs 2,000 | Rs 1,000 |
| Three-Wheeler/Quadricycles | Rs 5,000 | Rs 2,500 |
| Light Motor Vehicle (LMV) - Car/Jeep | Rs 10,000 | Rs 5,000 |
| Imported 2- and 3-Wheelers | Rs 20,000 | Rs 10,000 |
| Imported 4-Wheelers | Rs 80,000 | Rs 40,000 |
| Other Vehicles | Rs 12,000 | Rs 6,000 |
Note that this new fee is exclusive of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Registration Fee for Renewal of 15 to 20-Year-Old Vehicles: No Change
However, the new fee structure does not apply to vehicles between 15 and 20 years old. In a major relief to owners of such vehicles, the Union Government has offered to opt for the re-registration of motor vehicles more than 15 years old, although only for an additional 5 years. This means that those still 'owning vehicles older than 15 years but not exceeding 20 years' from their original date of registration can re-register after paying a certain fee, according to the official notification. For them, the old fee structure (in the table above) applies.