Each Indian state and union territory (UT) has their own RTO (Regional Transport Office). These offices are responsible for enforcing the rules outlined in the Motor Vehicle Act of 1988 by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
These transport offices also maintain databases of all operational vehicles. They issue driver's licenses and also monitor pollution checks. They also collect road taxes and ensure that all road transportation laws are followed in India.
RTO In Car Insurance
- Issuing Driving License:
The RTO plays an important role in issuing licenses. If you want to drive a car in India, you need to obtain a learner’s license and then a permanent license. Driving licenses, both - learning and permanent, are issued by the RTO. You cannot obtain four wheeler insurance without a driving license.
- Vehicle Registration:
Vehicles in India are registered with the RTOs. We must also know that car insurance is mandatory in India. Keep in mind that you cannot purchase car insurance if your car is not registered with the RTO.
- Helps in Inter State Travelling:
For individuals whose professions entail frequent interstate travel and prefer to make use of their vehicle for travel purposes, then obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the RTO is essential. The NOC granted by the RTO enables hassle-free interstate travel.
- Maintaining car databases:
RTO is also responsible for maintaining a database of all cars sold and bought in India. To ensure transparency, RTOs all over the country are adopting digitisation. By maintaining a transparent record of data, the RTO seeks to assist car owners in accessing their driving history. This proves very useful for car owners when making claims for damages from car insurance providers in the long run.