A private car’s registration runs out after 15 years. Here’s what each option costs you, so you can decide before the renewal date arrives.
In short
- Renewing the registration of a car over 15 years old costs ₹5,000, plus a fitness test every five years.
- Few buyers want a 15-year-old car, and an incomplete transfer leaves it in your name.
- Scrapping gets you the scrap value, a cancelled RC, and up to 25% off road tax on your next car.
What turning 15 means
A private car is registered for 15 years. After that, the registration has to be renewed every five years, and the car has to pass a fitness test each time.
Since April 2022, renewing the registration of a car older than 15 years costs ₹5,000, up from ₹600. The fitness test is charged on top, and any repairs needed to pass it are yours to pay for.
Your three options
Renew it
Worth it if the car is in good shape and you’ll keep driving it locally for years. Budget for the fees, repairs to pass the fitness test, and rising running costs. You’ll be back at the RTO in five years.
Sell it
Few buyers want a 15-year-old car, and those who do pay little. In Delhi NCR, petrol cars over 15 years and diesel cars over 10 years can’t be driven, so buyers there aren’t an option. If you sell informally, make sure the transfer is completed, or the car stays in your name.
Scrap it
You’re paid the scrap value, the registration is cancelled so the car is off your name, and the Certificate of Deposit lowers the road tax on your next car: up to 25% in Chandigarh and Punjab.
Buying a new car soon? Scrap first. The concession is applied when the new car is registered, so you need the Certificate of Deposit in hand by then.
Signs it’s time to scrap
- The repair estimate is more than the car is worth.
- It’s unlikely to pass the fitness test without major work.
- It hasn’t moved from the parking in months.
- The insurance premium is close to what the car would sell for.
- You’re buying a new car anyway, and the certificate saves you money on it.
Fees and state concessions change, so we confirm the current numbers on the call.