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Legislation

Motor Vehicle Laws in India

Written and checked byManju Shekhar· Motor Law & Compliance· Updated 10 October 2026

Every Act and set of Rules that governs motor vehicles in India, and a dated record of the amendments notified most recently — with the G.S.R. number and what each one actually changed, so you can cite it properly.

Parent Act

MV Act, 1988

Major amendment

Act 32 of 2019

Operative rules

CMVR, 1989

Amendments listed

17 (2025–26)

Primary Legislation

Acts are passed by Parliament. They create the offences and set the ceilings — the detail sits in the Rules below.

Browse all MV Act sections →Browse all CMVR rules →

The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988

Act 59 of 1988

Enacted 14 October 1988 · In force from 1 July 1989

The parent statute for everything to do with motor vehicles in India. It replaced the Motor Vehicles Act, 1939, and governs driving licences, vehicle registration, permits, construction and maintenance standards, insurance, offences and penalties, and claims for compensation.

  • ›Chapter II — Licensing of drivers of motor vehicles
  • ›Chapter IV — Registration of motor vehicles
  • ›Chapter V — Control of transport vehicles (permits)
  • ›Chapter VII — Construction, equipment and maintenance
  • ›Chapter X–XII — Liability without fault, insurance and claims tribunals
  • ›Chapter XIII — Offences, penalties and procedure

The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019

Act 32 of 2019

Assented 9 August 2019 · In force from 1 September 2019

The most consequential change to Indian road law in decades. It sharply increased penalties across the board, created new offences, introduced guardian liability for juvenile driving, gave statutory protection to Good Samaritans, and empowered the Centre to regulate ride-hailing aggregators.

  • ›Steep increases to nearly every penalty in Chapter XIII
  • ›Section 199A — guardian and owner liability for juvenile offences
  • ›Section 134A — protection of Good Samaritans
  • ›Section 93 — licensing of aggregators by State Governments
  • ›Section 161 — hit-and-run compensation raised to ₹2,00,000 for a death (from ₹25,000)
  • ›Section 164 — no-fault compensation of ₹5,00,000 for a death and ₹2,50,000 for grievous hurt
  • ›Section 215B — constitution of a National Road Safety Board

The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026

Act 8 of 2026 · Schedule entry 51 (Motor Vehicles Act)

Assented 7 April 2026 · MV Act changes in force from 15 August 2026 (S.O. 4100(E), 24 July 2026)

An omnibus decriminalisation law that amended the Motor Vehicles Act alongside dozens of other central Acts. For drivers, it turned many fines into civil penalties, introduced a recorded warning for a first contravention of several minor provisions, removed jail terms for a number of first offences, and rewrote the penalty for driving uninsured.

  • ›Sections 177 and 177A — a recorded warning for a first contravention; ₹500–₹1,500 (177) or ₹500–₹1,000 (177A) after that
  • ›Section 194F — horn misuse: a recorded warning first, then ₹1,000–₹2,000
  • ›Section 196 — driving uninsured: three times the base premium or ₹5,000, whichever is higher (five times or ₹10,000 for a repeat), with no jail term
  • ›Section 190(2) — PUC and road-safety standards: up to ₹10,000 plus three months' disqualification on a first offence; noise standards: a warning first
  • ›Section 194E — not giving way to an ambulance or fire engine: a ₹10,000 penalty for a first offence, jail only for a repeat
  • ›Section 14 — a driving licence stays effective for 30 days after it expires
  • ›Section 166 — a Claims Tribunal may admit a compensation claim up to 12 months after the six-month limit, for sufficient cause; Section 168 asks tribunals to decide claims within 12 months

Rules Made Under the Act

Subordinate legislation. These change by gazette notification rather than by Act of Parliament, which is why they move so much faster.

The Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989

Made under Section 212, Motor Vehicles Act, 1988

The operative rulebook. Almost every practical requirement a vehicle owner encounters lives here rather than in the Act itself — the RTO forms, licence and registration procedure, fee schedules, safety and emission standards, and the hypothecation process. It is amended several times a year by G.S.R. notification.

  • ›Rule 21 — grounds on which a licensing authority may disqualify a driver
  • ›Rules 47–61 — registration, transfer of ownership, NOC and hypothecation forms
  • ›Rule 81 — the schedule of fees for RTO services
  • ›Rule 115 — mass emission standards
  • ›Rule 167 — issue of challans by authorised officers

Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2020

Made under Section 93, Motor Vehicles Act, 1988

A framework issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to guide State Governments in licensing and regulating ride-hailing aggregators. Because licensing is done by the States, the operative rules for any given city are the State aggregator rules made on this template.

  • ›Guidance to States on issuing aggregator licences
  • ›Conditions on fares, driver onboarding and safety obligations
  • ›Basis for State-level aggregator rules

State rules also apply. Every State makes its own motor vehicle rules under the powers the Act gives it, and notifies its own compounding amounts under Section 200. That is why the fine payable for the same offence differs between States — see our state-wise fines pages.

Recent Amendments — 2026

Notified amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, most recent first.

Central Motor Vehicles (Thirteenth Amendment) Rules, 2026

13 October 2026

G.S.R. 879(E)

In force on final publication, save as otherwise provided · top lights from 1 January 2027 · L2 ambulances from 1 October 2027

  • ›Created a regulatory framework for two-wheeled road ambulances (finalising draft G.S.R. 663(E) of 23 July 2026).
  • ›Amended Rule 62: a two-wheeled road ambulance's certificate of fitness is renewed every two years, and the fitness inspection checks that the ambulance or patient unit is securely mounted.
  • ›Amended Rule 108: from 1 January 2027 top lights on two-wheeled road ambulances must conform to AIS-209 (Part 1):2026.
  • ›Amended Rules 112 and 125-F: L2-category two-wheeled road ambulances must conform to AIS-209 (Part 1):2026 from 1 October 2027 (for those manufactured on or after that date, under Rule 125-F), and may be registered to ply only in an area decided by the State Government.

Central Motor Vehicles (Twelfth Amendment) Rules, 2026

28 July 2026

G.S.R. 712(E)

In force on publication (Gazette dated 10 August 2026) · load-body covers from 1 April 2027

  • ›Amended Rule 138B: from 1 April 2027 every dumper and tipper must have an electrically, electro-mechanically, hydraulically or mechanically operated system that fully covers the load body from the top while on the road, with an audio-visual alert in the cab if the cover is open or unsecured.
  • ›Amended Rule 93(1) so that this load-body enclosure is not counted when measuring a vehicle's overall width (as substituted by corrigendum G.S.R. 737(E) of 14 August 2026).

Central Motor Vehicles (Eleventh Amendment) Rules, 2026

30 June 2026

G.S.R. 542(E)

In force on final publication, save as otherwise provided

  • ›Revised Rule 115A, the emission standards for agricultural tractors, power tillers, combine harvesters and construction equipment vehicles (the TREM and CEV stage tables), including limits for hydrogen-fuelled engines.

Central Motor Vehicles (Tenth Amendment) Rules, 2026

19 June 2026

G.S.R. 540(E)

Applies on and after 1 October 2027

  • ›Amended Rule 126E (the Bharat NCAP car-assessment rule) and Form 70A so that assessments are carried out to AIS-197 (Revision 1) from 1 October 2027.

Central Motor Vehicles (Ninth Amendment) Rules, 2026

8 June 2026

G.S.R. 458(E)

In force on publication

  • ›Substituted the fourth to tenth provisos to Rule 126 — the conditions for type approval of altered or retrofitted vehicles and of imported right-hand-drive vehicles, including the annual cap of 2,500 M1/L-category and 500 other units that may be imported on an international certificate of compliance.
  • ›Imported petrol L and M1 vehicles must also come with a Type-I emission report on E20 reference fuel and a declaration of E20 material compatibility.

Central Motor Vehicles (Eighth Amendment) Rules, 2026

25 May 2026

G.S.R. 417(E)

In force on publication

  • ›Omitted Rule 115-J and substituted Rule 125M, with a new Rule 125MA, setting type-approval standards for hydrogen vehicles — internal-combustion (AIS 195) and fuel-cell (AIS 157), for M, N and L categories and for construction equipment vehicles.

Central Motor Vehicles (Seventh Amendment) Rules, 2026

13 May 2026

G.S.R. 364(E)

In force on publication

  • ›Amended Rule 93 to allow an overall height of up to 4.50 metres for N2/N3 trucks and truck, tractor and semi-trailers carrying white goods or solar panels stacked in multiple layers.

Central Motor Vehicles (Sixth Amendment) Rules, 2026

8 May 2026

G.S.R. 349(E)

In force on publication

  • ›Amended Rule 62 so it covers all motor vehicles, not only transport vehicles: a new private (non-transport) vehicle is deemed to hold a fitness certificate for 15 years from registration, and each renewal after that is valid for 5 years.
  • ›Where an automated testing station is operational in a registering authority's area, fitness of light motor vehicles must be tested only there.
  • ›Every fitness renewal now requires a geo-tagged video of at least 10 seconds, taken on a government app, showing the vehicle from all four sides with the number plate and chassis number visible. The test list adds speed governor, vehicle location tracking device, HSRP, reflectors and seat belts.

Central Motor Vehicles (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2026

20 April 2026

G.S.R. 298(E)

In force on publication

  • ›Halved two fees in serial number 11A of the Rule 81 fee table — items (d)(2) and (e)(2) — from ₹5,000 to ₹2,500.

Central Motor Vehicles (Fourth Amendment) Rules, 2026

5 February 2026

G.S.R. 112(E)

In force 7 February 2026 · applies to models made on or after 1 April 2027

  • ›Amended Rule 115 (mass emission standards).
  • ›Added AIS-175 as an applicable test document alongside TAP 115/116 and AIS-137.
  • ›Introduced BS-VI emission standards based on the WLTP test cycle for M1 vehicles and M2 vehicles up to 3,500 kg GVW.

Central Motor Vehicles (Third Amendment) Rules, 2026

20 January 2026

G.S.R. 48(E)

In force 21 January 2026

  • ›Amended Rule 21 to add a new ground of disqualification — committing five or more offences or contraventions in a one-year period commencing 1 January 2026. Offences from an earlier one-year period do not carry forward.
  • ›Amended Rule 167 to allow a police officer in uniform, or an officer authorised by the State, to issue a challan through the system in either physical or electronic form.

Central Motor Vehicles (Second Amendment) Rules, 2026

13 January 2026

G.S.R. 28(E)

In force on publication, 14 January 2026 · tightens user-fee compliance on national highways

  • ›A No Objection Certificate for transfer of ownership or inter-state registration is not to be granted until any unpaid highway user fee is cleared (Rule 58), and Form 28 now asks whether any unpaid user fee demand is pending.
  • ›A certificate of fitness is not to be renewed or generated until any unpaid user fee is paid (Rule 62).
  • ›Commercial vehicles applying for a National Permit must have no outstanding user fees.

Central Motor Vehicles (First Amendment) Rules, 2026

6 January 2026

G.S.R. 07(E)

New models from 1 October 2026 · existing models from 1 October 2027

  • ›Amended Rule 138 to mandate an Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) in electrified vehicles of categories M and N, so that pedestrians can hear an otherwise near-silent EV approaching.
  • ›Audibility to follow AIS-173 until a corresponding BIS standard is issued.
  • ›Broadened exemptions covering L5, L7, e-rickshaw, e-cart and M1 categories.
  • ›Issued under Section 110 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, after consultation on a draft published in September 2025.

Draft amendments are not law until finalised and notified, so they are not listed above. Drafts open or pending as of October 2026 include G.S.R. 643(E) of 17 July 2026 (procedure for recording warnings under the Jan Vishwas amendments), G.S.R. 664(E) of 22 July 2026 (revised PUC certificate validity periods), and G.S.R. 880(E) of 12 October 2026, which proposes Bharat Stage VII emission standards for M1 (passenger car) category vehicles manufactured on or after 1 April 2029.

Recent Amendments — 2025

Central Motor Vehicles (Sixth Amendment) Rules, 2025

24 November 2025

Amends G.S.R. 834(E) dated 11 November 2025

Corrective amendment to an earlier 2025 notification

  • ›Issued to amend the earlier notification G.S.R. 834(E) of 11 November 2025.

We have confirmed this notification exists and its date, but not the full scope of what it changed. Check the gazette text before relying on it.

Central Motor Vehicles (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2025

17 November 2025

Following draft G.S.R. 600(E) of 27 August 2025

In force from publication in the Gazette

  • ›Revised the fee schedule in Rule 81 — serial numbers 10 and 10A and their entries were substituted.
  • ›Finalised after considering public objections to the draft notification issued under Section 212(1).

Central Motor Vehicles (Third Amendment) Rules, 2025

21 August 2025

G.S.R. 568(E)

Amends the RTO fee schedule

  • ›Amended the Rule 81 fee table at serial number 4B to clarify that it covers renewal of registration for vehicles older than 15 years but not exceeding 20 years from first registration.
  • ›Added Note 3 confirming that all fees in the table are exclusive of Goods and Services Tax.

Central Motor Vehicles (First Amendment) Rules, 2025

27 March 2025

Notified by MoRTH

Amends the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989

  • ›Amends the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.

We have confirmed this notification exists and its date, but not the full scope of what it changed. Check the gazette text before relying on it.

How complete is this list?

The Central Motor Vehicles Rules are amended several times a year, and amendments are numbered sequentially within each calendar year. This page lists the 2025 and 2026 amendments we have been able to confirm against the notification record, and states plainly where we could confirm that a notification exists but not the full scope of what it changed.

It is not a substitute for the gazette. For the authoritative and complete list, use the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways notifications listing at morth.gov.in and the e-Gazette. If you are relying on a rule for a legal or official purpose, read the notification itself.

How to Cite and Check a Rule

  1. 1

    Identify whether it is an Act or a Rule

    Penalties and offences are usually in the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and are cited by section. Procedures, forms, fees and technical standards are in the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 and are cited by rule.

  2. 2

    Find the amending notification

    Amendments are published as G.S.R. numbers in the Gazette of India. Cite the G.S.R. number together with its date — for example, G.S.R. 48(E) dated 21 January 2026 — because numbers restart each year.

  3. 3

    Check the commencement date

    A notification date and an effective date are frequently different, and technical standards often apply only to vehicles manufactured after a future date. The 2026 emission amendment, for instance, was notified in February 2026 but bites from 1 April 2027.

  4. 4

    Check whether your State varies it

    For compounding amounts and permit conditions, the State notification is what an enforcement officer will apply, not the central figure.

Frequently Asked Questions About Motor Vehicle Law

What is the main law governing motor vehicles in India?

The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (Act 59 of 1988). It came into force on 1 July 1989, replacing the Motor Vehicles Act, 1939, and covers driving licences, registration, permits, vehicle standards, insurance, offences and compensation claims. The detailed working rules are in the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, made under Section 212 of the Act.

What is the difference between the Act and the Rules?

The Act is primary legislation passed by Parliament — it sets the framework, creates offences and fixes maximum penalties. The Rules are subordinate legislation made by the Government under powers the Act grants, and they carry the operational detail: forms, procedures, fees, and technical standards. Changing the Act needs Parliament; changing the Rules only needs a gazette notification, which is why the Rules are amended far more often.

What is a G.S.R. notification?

G.S.R. stands for General Statutory Rules. It is the numbering series used when subordinate legislation such as an amendment to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules is published in the Gazette of India. Each amendment carries a G.S.R. number and a date — for example, G.S.R. 48(E) dated 21 January 2026 — and that pairing is the authoritative way to cite it.

Can I now lose my licence for repeated small offences?

The Central Motor Vehicles (Third Amendment) Rules, 2026, notified as G.S.R. 48(E) of 20 January 2026 and in force from its publication on 21 January 2026, added a ground on which a licensing authority may disqualify a driver: committing five or more offences or contraventions within a one-year period commencing 1 January 2026. Offences from an earlier one-year period do not carry over into the next. Disqualification is exercised by the licensing authority, so how it is applied in practice will vary by State.

Do unpaid tolls now block an RC transfer?

Under the Central Motor Vehicles (Second Amendment) Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 28(E), 13 January 2026), a No Objection Certificate for transfer of ownership or inter-state registration is not to be granted until outstanding national highway user fees are cleared. Commercial operators applying for a National Permit must also have no unpaid user fees.

Do State Governments make their own motor vehicle rules?

Yes. The Act gives State Governments rule-making powers of their own, and every State has its own motor vehicle rules covering matters such as permits, State taxes and local procedure. States also notify their own compounding amounts for offences under Section 200, which is why the fine actually payable for the same offence can differ between States.

Where do I check the current text of a rule?

Use the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways site (morth.gov.in) for notifications and the consolidated legislation listing, and the e-Gazette for the published notification itself. Because the Central Motor Vehicles Rules are amended several times a year, always confirm against a source dated after the most recent amendment rather than relying on a consolidated copy of unknown vintage.

Sources

  • • The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (Act 59 of 1988) — India Code, Ministry of Law and Justice.
  • • The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 32 of 2019), assented 9 August 2019.
  • • Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, made under Section 212 of the Act.
  • • Amendment notifications as published in the Gazette of India and listed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
  • • Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2020 — MoRTH, issued under Section 93.

This page is a plain-language summary for general information and is not legal advice. Rules change frequently — verify against the gazette before acting on anything here.

Related Pages

📘

MV Act 1988 — All Sections

Every section, chapter by chapter, with official headings.

📗

CMVR 1989 — All Rules

Every rule of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules.

📕

Traffic Rules

69 rules explained with their statutory basis.

⚠️

Violations & Penalties

Every offence with its section and fine.

⚖️

Old vs New MV Act

What the 2019 amendment actually changed.

📄

RTO Forms Compared

Forms 28–35 and the CMVR rule behind each.

💰

State-Wise Fines

How Section 200 lets States vary the amounts.

🇮🇳

BH Series

Rules 48 and 51B, and the notifications behind them.