The city of Thane, sometimes called the "City of Lakes," is located in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region of Maharashtra and is a very busy city. Moreover, the Regional Transport Office in Thane is a vital government office, mandated with governing the most relevant activities related to road transport, vehicle registration, and the issue of licences to drivers within the city. 

Whether a new vehicle owner or someone looking to renew a licence, Thane RTO caters to many services in streamlining its road transport operations.

This is a complete guide that provides a list of all Thane RTO services, along with their office location, services offered, and charges.

The Regional Transport Office in Thane services the region's vehicular needs. Listed below are a few of them:

1. Driving Licence

The Regional Transport Office in Thane provides various types of driving licenses, including the following:

• Learner's Licence:

A learner's license is a preliminary driving licence obtained upon passing a test for traffic rules and road signs. It is valid for six months from the date of its issuance. 

• Driving Licence:

After 30 days gap from the date of the learner's licence, they can visit the RTO for a permanent license and obtain it by appearing for the practical test. The license is valid until its expiry date or until one crosses the age of 50. 

• International Driving Permit (IDP):

International Driving Permits allow a person to use other countries' roads. IDPs are generally valid for a year from the date of issue or until the expiry of the person's domestic license, whichever is sooner. 

• Renewal of Driving Licence:

It enables the owners to renew their driving licenses before their expiry date or during the grace period so that they can drive the vehicle without getting caught in some type of legal problem. 

• Duplicate Driving Licence:

It enables the owner to get a duplicate driving license if the DL gets lost, stolen, or damaged. 

• Licence Endorsements and Upgrades:

It allows the registration of a new car type, such as changing from a private vehicle license to a commercial vehicle licence.

2. Vehicle Registration

Every time people buy a vehicle-new or second-hand registration is compulsory. Registration Number is an absolute necessity. The Thane RTO office offers the following facilities in this regard:

• New Vehicle Registration:

When an owner buys a new personal or commercial vehicle, it is registered under the RTO. When the registration period is over, a Registration Certificate (RC) is issued to the owner. The RC of a personal vehicle is valid for 15 years, while the RC for a commercial vehicle is valid only for 2 years. Documents Required: Sale invoice or sale receipt, PUC certificate, Insurance, Identity, and Address Proof. 

• Temporary and Permanent Registration:

The dealer offers temporary registration while selling a vehicle. It remains valid for one month, after which the owner must apply for permanent registration.   

• Renewal of Registration:

It allows an owner to renew the registration of his/her vehicle after completing one month since the initial registration. 

• Transfer of Ownership:

When a person sells or buys a second-hand vehicle, legal ownership is transferred from the old owner to the new owner. RTO records this change of details about the owner in the vehicle's RC.

3. PUC Certificate

To get a vehicle on public roads, owners must apply for a Pollution Under Control Certificate, ensuring that the vehicles abide by their legal and ordained emission standards. The RTO offers the following services in this respect: 

• Issuance of PUC:

After a vehicle passes an emission test, the RTO issues a PUC certificate. For a new car, this certificate is valid for a year, and then it gets renewed for six months.  

• PUC Verification:

The Regional Transport Office verifies to confirm that the vehicle has a valid PUC. 

• No Objection Certificate (NOC):

Now, if a person intends to shift his RTO jurisdiction or transport his vehicle to another state, he will also be required to obtain a No Objection Certificate from the RTO. 

• Change of Vehicle from One State to Another:

People might want to change their vehicles permanently when they move to another state. An NOC can be acquired for this so that the car/bike can be registered in the new state without harassment from the old RTO. 

• Inter-RTO Transfer:

Those vehicle owners shifting within the state to a place falling under the jurisdiction of some other RTO will require a NOC for transferring their automobile.

4. Fitness Certificate for Vehicles

Commercial vehicles are lawfully bound to test themselves for a range of fitness tests that prove them to be roadworthy. RTO in Thane, concerning this purpose, offers the following services:

• Issue of Fitness Certificate:

An issue of the vehicle fitness certificate is lawfully mandated in the case of a new vehicle to determine that it is safe enough to ply on public roads. 

• Renewal of Fitness Certificate:

New private vehicles have a 15-year fitness certificate validity, which is renewable every 5 years. In the case of commercial vehicles, there is an age limit of up to 8 years, along with a 2 year validity period for the fitness certificate that is renewable annually.

5. Vehicle Permits

Commercial vehicle owners require a few permits for their automobiles to operate on public roads lawfully. In this respect, the services provided by the RTO in Thane include:

• Commercial Vehicle Permits

RTO permits have to be procured by the owners themselves for commercial vehicles such as buses, taxis, trucks, and many more. These permits can be obtained for local, intrastate, or interstate usage.  

• National and Temporary Permits

If the owners want to use a commercial vehicle for a short duration or for a particular purpose, they must obtain a temporary permit. When they want to use an automobile in the transportation market for interstate operations, they have to apply for a national permit.

6. Road Tax Collection

Road tax is charged to vehicle owners at the time of registering their automobile for the first time and when their road tax needs to be renewed. The payments are provided under two types:

• Annual Road Tax

This is applicable to commercial vehicles and is paid on an annual basis. Since these rates vary with size and type, the rate of taxation also varies. 

• Lifetime Road Tax

Lifetime road tax is imposed on private motor vehicles and is payable when an automobile is registered for the first time. The amount of tax varies, in general, with the vehicle's model and capacity. 

7. Hypothecation Services

When purchasing an automobile through a loan, the financier's name is endorsed on the Registration Certificate. For hypothecations, RTOs provide the following facilities:

• Addition of Hypothecation

If the vehicle is financed when it is being registered, then the RTO writes down the name of the financier in the RC in the hypothecation.

• Withdrawal of Hypothecation

Once the loan has been repaid, the vehicle owner is entitled to have the financier's name struck off from the RC by removing the hypothecation.

8. Enforcement and Road Safety Measures

Other essential tasks the RTO undertakes in Thane include enforcing traffic rules and road safety standards. It comes under two heads: 

• Traffic Laws Enforcement

The Regional Transport Office can enforce road safety norms and punish people for drunken driving, overspeeding, etc.

• Road Safety Awareness Programs 

Very often, the RTO team organizes awareness programs for the public regarding traffic rules and safe road usage in collaboration with other government agencies. 

There are three types of driving licences issued by Thane RTO, which includes the following:

• Learner’s Licence
• Permanent Licence
• International Driving Permit
• Commercial Driving Licence

RTO in Thane is essential for vehicle registration and the issue of RCs. This procedure is integral to obtaining the number plate, the most serious legal requirement while driving a vehicle on public roads.

There are two types of vehicle registrations performed in the RTO in Thane: 

1. Temporary Registration

Temporary registration is the dealer's number plate when a person buys a new car. It is temporary as the owner files for permanent registration and waits for the process to end.

Key Points:

• Validity: It has validity for 1 month from the date of issuance. 
• Purpose: This allows the car owner to operate the automobile while they apply for permanent registration legally.
• Issuing Authority: It is made available by a dealer at the time of purchase and issued simultaneously with the local RTO.  

2. Permanent Registration

Permanent registration is compulsory for all vehicles on Indian roads. It can be obtained almost immediately after the purchase of a new vehicle. Owners can use the temporary registration to drive their vehicle on public roads until the confirmation is delivered.   

KeyPoints:

• Application Schedule: The provisional registration is valid for one month, after which the permanent registration is to be carried out. 
• Registration Certificate (RC): After the completion of the permanent registration, the RTO issues a certificate of registration (RC). In case of its issuance, RC verifies that the individual owns the vehicle. 
• Validity: For personal motor vehicles, 15 years. For commercial motor vehicles, 2 years.

According to the registration type, RTO in Thane provides several types of number plates to identify the registration category. Here is a list of the same:

• Blue number plate
• White number plate
• Red number plate
• Number plate with an upward arrow
• Yellow number plate
• Green number plate
• Red number plate with an emblem of India

When applying for permanent registration with the RTO in Thane, the applicable registration charges are as follows:

• Two-wheelers: ₹300-₹500
• Imported Bike: ₹2,500
• Three-wheeler: ₹1,000
• Four-wheeler: ₹600
• Imported car: ₹5,000
• Light Motor Vehicle: ₹1,000
• Medium Motor Vehicle: ₹1,000
• Heavy Motor Vehicle: ₹1,500 
• Others: ₹3,000

You are liable to pay road tax whenever you register a new vehicle or renew its registration. The RTO in Thane collects road taxes based on the structure of the Maharashtra road tax. Check out an overview of the applicable road taxes in this area below:

For Two-wheelers

• 10% of purchasing cost (a minimum of ₹1,500) for vehicles with engine capacity up to 99 cc
• 11% of purchasing cost (a minimum of ₹1,500) for vehicles with engine capacity ranging from 99 cc to 299 cc
• 12% of purchasing cost (a minimum of ₹1,500) for vehicles with engine capacity of more than 299 cc

For Four-wheelers

• 11% of the vehicle’s purchasing cost, up to ₹10 Lakh (petrol-driven motor cars and omni buses)
• 12% of the vehicle’s purchasing cost, ranging between ₹10 Lakh and ₹20 Lakh (petrol-driven motor cars and omni buses)
• 13% of the vehicle’s purchasing cost, more than ₹20 Lakh (petrol-driven motor cars and omni buses)
• 13% of the vehicle’s purchasing cost, up to ₹10 Lakh (diesel-driven motor cars and omni buses)
• 14% of the vehicle’s purchasing cost, ranging between ₹10 Lakh and ₹20 Lakh (diesel-driven motor cars and omni buses)
• 15% of the vehicle’s purchasing cost, more than ₹20 Lakh (diesel-driven motor cars and omni buses)
• 7% of the vehicle’s purchasing cost, up to ₹10 Lakh (CNG/LPG-driven new vehicles)
• 8% of the vehicle’s purchasing cost, ranging between ₹10 Lakh and ₹20 Lakh (CNG/LPG-driven new vehicles)
• 9% of the vehicle’s purchasing cost, more than ₹20 Lakh (CNG/LPG-driven new vehicles) 

As per the Motor Vehicles Act, motor insurance must be provided if you intend to drive your vehicle on public roads. While it is not enforcement under the act, it does cover what would protect your financial outlay in case you are unfortunate and get involved in an accident while driving your vehicle.

If you are caught driving without a valid vehicle insurance policy, then you will be charged by the authorities with a penalty of ₹2,000. Upon being seen for the same offence multiple times, the amount increased will be ₹4,000, and, in addition to a three-month jail term, it may also be granted.

If you want your vehicle registered in the Thane RTO, Complete and file the following:

1. Form 20 – Application Form for Registration of a New Vehicle

This is the official form for completing a vehicle's registration. Form 20 includes all information related to the vehicle, its owner, and other material details.

2. Vehicle Insurance Certificate

When you register your vehicle, you are required to have a vehicle insurance policy. The policy can be a fully comprehensive plan or third-party cover.

3. Temporary Registration Certificate (where required)

Suppose the dealer provided a temporary registration number after you purchased the vehicle. In that case, you need to make a mention of this in your application for permanent registration. 

4. Sale Certificate (Form 21)

The dealer usually issues this certificate, affirming that the car was legally bought from them. It contains information regarding the buyer and seller and the date of sale.

5. Road Fitness Certificate (Form 22)

This is a legal certificate issued by the vehicle's manufacturer to confirm that the bike/car meets all the provisions required under the Law of Motor Vehicles and is suitable for driving on public roads. 

6. Pollution Under Control (PUC) Certificate

A Pollution Under Control certificate is a legal document that proves the vehicle satisfies all emission norms and is allowed to be on public roads without causing excessive pollution. Dealer's Invoice You should get the original dealer's invoice when purchasing a vehicle. This can be considered proof of the price and features of the vehicle. 

7. Customs Clearance Certificate (in case of imported Vehicles)

If you have purchased an imported vehicle, you must furnish a customs clearance certificate. It mentions that all customs and import procedures related to the vehicle have been followed.

8. Receipt of Road Tax Payments

You must present your receipt of road tax payments at the time of permanent registration.

9. Identity Proof of the Owner

The following documents can be presented for identity proof:

• Voter ID
• PAN card
• Aadhaar card
• Driving licence
• Passport
• Proof of Address of the Vehicle Owner
• For address proof, you will need the following documents:
• Voter ID card
• Passport
• Aadhaar card
• Lease agreement in case of house on rent
• Utility bills such as electricity, water, gas
• Passport-size Photographs
• Recent passport-sized photographs will be required for documentation.

10. Bank NOC, (if financed)

If the vehicle is bought on finance, you will require an NOC from the financier, the bank, or the financial institution. It is proof that the financier has no lien against the vehicle, and thus, it can be registered under your name. 

11. PAN Card or Form 60/61

If the vehicle's price is more than ₹50,000, PAN card details are needed. If a PAN card is not available, form 60/61 may be submitted.

Recent traffic events in Thane are like major disruptions by accidents and planned traffic restrictions:

• Thane Traffic Police issued a traffic advisory for the book launch on 7th August 2024. Diversions and parking were banned around Gadkari Rangayatan at multiple places from 2 PM to 10 PM.

• An overturned truck on Ghodbunder Road caused an 11-hour traffic jam, leaving thousands of commuters stranded. The accident happened early Wednesday morning, and lane indiscipline made matters worse.

Ongoing congestion Congestion issues have been persistently beset by heavy vehicle restrictions; however, improvements to infrastructure are currently underway, particularly on Ghodbunder Road, whose repairs and construction have caused the most significant delays.

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) also successfully organised a road safety awareness campaign at Thane, involving more than 2,500 participants, including school students. The event had interactive activities such as theory sessions on safety riding, quizzes, and poster-making contests for different age groups respecting responsible road usage. 

Along with the events mentioned above, Thane Traffic Police have also organised a "Road Safety Mission-2024" from January 15 to February 14, 2024, under which there will be activities for traffic safety awareness. The above-shown activities reflect the region's continued evolution with road safety.