All You Must Know About Your Car’s PUC Certificate

What is PUC Certificate of Vehicle? 

PUC is a certificate which asserts that a particular vehicle having the PUC certificate has cleared the PUC test and meets the standard of pollution control as prescribed by Motor Vehicle Law of India.  Thus, having a PUC certificate means that your vehicle meets the emission limit permitted by law. And it is compulsory for each and every vehicle in India to comply by the PUC norms and to have a PUC certificate.

The PUC contains details of your vehicle, such as, your RC number, PUC test date, PUC serial number, reading of the test, PUC certificate validity date and so on. The PUC renewal period of your vehicle is 6 months.

How can a PUC help Vehicle Owners?

PUC is not issued to vehicles that emit pollution more than what is permitted. Here are some ways how PUC help car owners:

• PUC is a key factor required while getting your car insurance. If a vehicle is emitting more pollution than the standard level, your insurance provider will not consider renewing your policy. So, PUC certificate is a requirement when you go for your vehicle renewal.
• Also, if your car emission level seems more than the prescribed limit, you might be asked by concerned traffic officer to submit your vehicle for PUC test, or might ask you to pay penalty. But if you have an updated PUC certificate, you will be safe in this situation.
• If you drive your car without third party car insurance and a pollution certificate, you can be penalized for Rs. 1000 as a first time offense, and Rs.2000 in case you repeat the offense.  Having a PUC save you from penalty.

3 Other Benefits of PUC Certificate:

1. PUC certificate helps in conserving the environment, and let you contribute to curbing pollution levels.
2. By getting a PUC done, you can find out the condition of your vehicle; whether your car/bike is running fine or it require servicing.
3. PUC certificate also indicates that you are a law abiding citizen of India.

Process to get a PUC Certificate:

PUC certificates are provided by PUC Centers available all across India to vehicles that pass the PUC emission test. PUC test can be done in any authorized Pollution check point that uses some particular testing tools to scan your vehicle’s ejection pipe and to find the emission level. Once your car clears the test, you will get the PUC certificate from the authority after paying a nominal amount of money.

You can check the location of different PUC centers in the Parivahan website by clicking on the tab of PUC certificate. Here, you can see the locations of all the PUC centers approved by RTO.

Percentage Criteria to Pass PUC test 

For 4-wheelers manufactured with respect to the subsequent norms of Pre-Bharat stage II, 0.5 % CO is permitted, while the permission level of Hydrocarbon is 750 ppm.

And for 4-wheelers produced with respect to the norms of Pre-Bharat stage II, 3 % CO is permitted, while the permission level of Hydrocarbon is 1500 ppm.

Thus, keeping updated PUC checks help in maintaining the condition of your vehicle and it is also an important requirement at the time car renewal.

Is PUC Required for New Car?

Many people ask this question as they think that pollution certificate for new car is not a requirement. But the fact is you certainly need a pollution certificate for new vehicle as well as for older ones.

PUC for new cars remain valid for one year, after which regular PUC tests are needed in every six months. But for old vehicles, PUC checking is mandatory in every six months in most Indian states, while in some states it is three months time. So, as per the rule of the state, you must get your PUC done.