Kerala MVD circular on anywhere registration may not be effective soon, committee formed

While the Kerala Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) has issued a circular to allow registration of vehicles anywhere in the state if the owner has an address here, the department will have to sort out a few issues before the circular can be implemented fully. The MVD has already formed an internal committee to study the issues and submit recommendations so that the circular can be implemented without hitches. Senior Deputy Transport Commissioner (Tax) Rajeev R issued the circular on December 5 in accordance with the HC order dated November 6.

The HC passed the order allowing a writ petition by an individual. In the order, the HC said that a person residing in a state or having a place of business in a particular state can get the motor vehicle registered by any of the registering authorities of that state. If this order has to be implemented across the state, the NIC will have to effect modifications in the software. Besides, the department also has to consider workload management in offices and address changes to be made with regard to the allotment of fancy numbers.

"The implementation of the circular requires software changes. NIC will be addressed. It also requires policy changes, e.g., fancy numbers. We have formed a committee, and recommendations will be submitted in two weeks," said Transport Commissioner Nagaraju Chakilam.

Even in the case of the petitioner, the issue popped up when he won a fancy number for the new vehicle. He successfully earned a fancy number for his vehicle after participating in online action. The petitioner initially approached the Attingal RTO to register the vehicle with the fancy number. However, he was directed to approach the Kazhakootam RTO since he was not residing in the jurisdiction of the Attingal RTO, and he had no place of business there. The petitioner raised the issue with the contention that an amendment was in effect from 2019, according to which every owner of the motor vehicle is entitled to have the registration of his motor vehicle within the State of his residence from any registering authority.

He also quoted an advisory from the Union government issued in January 2024. It was clarified in the advisory that the registering authorities shall accept and process all applications made to any registering authority in the state, irrespective of their place of residence or business within the state. The state government's argument was that the amended provision of the act would indicate that the residence or the place of residence where the vehicle is normally kept has to be within the jurisdiction of the registering authority.

The circular issued following the HC order has also opened discussions on why Kerala delayed implementing the amended provision of the MV Act. MVD officials said that issues related to software changes and ongoing cases on Bharat registration were the factors that caused delay in implementation of the amended provision of the act.