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Legislation

Motor Vehicle Laws in India

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

8 (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 164 — enhanced compensation in hit-and-run cases
  • ›Section 215B — constitution of a National Road Safety Board

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 (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

21 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

21 January 2026

G.S.R. 28(E)

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.
  • ›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.

A further draft amendment was published for public comment on 27 April 2026. Draft rules are not law until finalised and notified, so it is not listed above.

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) 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), 21 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.