Importance of PUC Certificate for Bike or Two-Wheeler Insurance Renewal

On average, 100 million bikes and 67 million cars are produced every year across the globe. With such a humongous number, you can assume the CO2 emissions and pollution caused by vehicles. The transport sector is a major source of air pollution, with two vehicles entering the road every two seconds. Hence, a PUC Certificate or Pollution Under Control Certificate is required and made mandatory by the Indian Motor Vehicle Laws. This way, the emissions from your vehicle can be controlled within the legally permissible limit. In this post, let us look at the importance of the pollution certificate for bike insurance renewal.

We know a PUC certificate is necessary to drive your bikes freely on Indian roads. However, do you know that the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has made it obligatory for every bike owner to have an active PUC certificate to be able to renew their bike insurance policies? Yes, you read it right! So, if your bike renewal is imminent and your PUC has expired, get your PUC issued by a government-approved emission center soon.

What is PUCC in Bikes?

A PUCC or Pollution Under Control Certificate is a document that verifies that your two-wheeler is following the pollution rules and that the emissions emitted by the bike are within the set limits. The government issues the PUC certificate via authorized emission testing centers located across cities.

Here’s some information that a Pollution Under Control (PUC) Certificate contains:

• The serial number of the PUC certificate
• The validity date of the PUC test
• Your two-wheeler registration number
• The emission test date

Reasons why you should obtain a PUC for a new bike?

Here are two important reasons:

• The Motor Vehicles Act 1988 makes it mandatory for every bike owner to carry a PUC certificate to ride their bikes freely on the roads
• IRDAI makes it compulsory for general insurance companies to renew bikes only if they have updated PUC certificates

Is it Necessary to get PUC Tested?

Yes, getting a PUC certificate for your vehicle is necessary if you want to avoid getting penalized with heavy fines on the road. Now, you might ask why your vehicle must undergo a PUC test. This is because two-wheelers are major contributors to pollution, as seen in recent times. Two-wheelers emit nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, and numerous other pollutants. Thus, a PUCC also helps in supporting the health of your vehicle by keeping a check on the emissions.

PUC Certificate for Bikes/ Two-Wheelers

 How to get a PUC Certificate for your Two-Wheeler?

Below are the steps to obtain a PUC certificate for your new bike:

• In the case of new vehicles, the dealer from whom you purchase the bike will arrange the PUC
• For old bikes, the owner is supposed to get the PUCC from an authorized emission testing center near you
• At the PUC center, the concerned person inserts a tube into the exhaust pipe to test the emission levels
• Next, you will receive an electronically generated PUC certificate for the bike after paying the nominal charges

How much is the PUC Certificate Charge?

To obtain a PUCC of vehicles, the vehicle owner is simply required to pay a nominal price of INR 60 to 100. However, this price might differ according to the fuel type of the vehicle.

Is there a validity period for a PUC Certificate?

A newly bought two-wheeler comes with an active PUC certificate offered by the dealer. The certificate comes with a PUCC validity of 1 year. Once the PUC certificate validity comes to an end, you are required to renew it by visiting an authorized emission testing center. The renewed PUC by the emission center stays valid for 6 months. So, it becomes necessary to renew the PUC certificate every 6 months.

Benefits of Having a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) Certificate

We have already discussed some of the benefits and requirements of having a PUC certificate. Let’s take a look at some more:

1. For environmental safety:

We all know what kind of menace air pollution is causing to humans in most parts of the globe. Having an active PUC certificate for your bike/vehicle would certainly reflect your willingness to contribute towards the cause of the environment in a certain way.

2. For an update about your vehicle’s condition:

With regular PUCC, you can also check your vehicle’s condition. If there is a high pollution emission, you can get it checked with your mechanic to prevent further damage.

3. To abide by the law:

Since the law requires a vehicle owner to have a PUC certificate for their vehicle, it will make you a law-abiding citizen and help you avoid penalties.

4. PUC is obligatory at the time of bike renewal:

As mentioned, a bike owner would require an active PUC on their two-wheeler if they want to renew their bike insurance policy. The IRDAI makes it mandatory for insurers to renew vehicles only when they have all the necessary documents in place, including PUC.

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To Sum Up

An active PUC certificate is a must-have document for all vehicle owners, including bike owners. This document comes in handy during bike PUC renewal and lets you keep a check on your vehicle’s condition. If you plan to buy a new bike or renew your existing bike insurance, you must search ‘PUC near me’ on Google and get your bike PUCC.

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