"The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh recently clarified certain legal issues that arise when a vehicle registered in one State or Union Territory (UT) of India is transferred to another part of the country [Ishfaq Ahmad Tramboo v. UT of J&K and Others].
Justice Javed Iqbal Wani noted that a motor vehicle generally has to be registered only once upon the payment of a fee prescribed by the Central Government. Such registration is valid throughout India.
"A motor vehicle has to be registered once upon payment of fee prescribed by the Central government and such registration shall be valid throughout India and a vehicle once registered is not required to be registered elsewhere in India," the Court said.
However, if the vehicle is taken to another State or UT (other than where it was registered) and it is plied there for a period exceeding 12 months, it would have to be assigned a new registration mark that is specific to that State or UT.
In such a scenario, the concerned authority of the State/ UT (where the vehicle is transferred to) has to arrange for the transfer of the vehicle's registration from the records of the registering authority where the vehicle is initially/originally registered.
In any case, the vehicle owner cannot be asked to pay a token tax or a road use tax again, merely because s/he wishes to use the vehicle in another State or UT.
"The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 nowhere provides for re-registration of a vehicle and payment of fee upon such re-registration," the Court observed, in this regard."
If supreme Court does not eventually reverse the ruling, this is big big news. High Court of J&K noted that a motor vehicle generally has to be registered only once upon the payment of a fee prescribed by the Central Government. Such registration is valid throughout India.
In case Re registration is to be done (For eg, in case of the 1-year rule), authorities themselves should make arrangements to get it done. In any case, "Mango People" need not shell out more money. MVD boys are not gonna like this, Outstation vehicles are there "chakna" providers.
Link to news: https://www.barandbench.com/news/doe...-court-answers