Vehicle Smart Card Registration Certificate (RC) in India – Everything You Need to Know

Vehicle smart card registration certificate (RC) in India

We all know that a vehicle registration certificate (RC) is important in India if you want to drive a vehicle. RC can be obtained from your nearest RTO or Road Transport Office. A smart RC card is a better way to safeguard it from damage. These cards are highly secure compared to magnetic stripe cards and they contain microprocessors. Let’s know more about them in this post.

Vehicle smart card registration certificate (RC) in India

RC Details: What It Is And How It Works

RC full form points to Registration Certificate which needs to be possessed by every Indian vehicle driver. It is a legal document affirming the registration of the vehicle with the Government of India. It is therefore absolutely necessary to get your vehicle’s RC in place before beginning to drive the vehicle on the road.

Generally speaking, an RC is issued for 15 years and holds validity until that time from the date of its issue. Upon expiry, RC renewal can be made for a total of 5 years, with a temporary RC issued with a validity of just 1 month (no renewal allowed). This is just a working arrangement until the vehicle’s actual RC has been issued to the owner.

Meaning of Registration Certificate (RC) Smart Card

RC Smart Card is nothing but a slight upgrade over the traditional RC book. Both are a confirmation of your vehicle’s valid registration under the Motor Vehicles Act. However, the RC Smart Card, as the name suggests, is in the shape of a card which is extremely handy and convenient to carry around in the wallet.

This is unlike the RC book which is a slightly bigger document to hold or carry all the time. With the introduction of digitalization, it is now fairly easier to secure an RC Smart Card in place of an RC book. Moreover, in case you have an RC book and wish to get it converted into an RC Smart Card, you can easily get that done by following a simple procedure:

  • You’d be required to submit a letter to the traffic police superintendent of your area, stating clearly the prime reason for converting the RC book into a Smart Card.
  • Along with the letter, submit a copy of the insurance certificate of your vehicle, emission certificate of the vehicle, and the original RC book at an RTO office near you.
  • Pay the fee required for the procedure. The Smart Card RC should be delivered at your registered address within a week or so.

Also Read: Red light jump challan

What is Registration Certificate (RC) Number of Vehicle?

The RC number refers to the registration number of your vehicle which is issued once the vehicle is successfully registered with the government. Each vehicle has a unique RC number and this number is also present on the Smart RC Card, along with some other important details regarding your vehicle:

  • The month and year in which the vehicle was manufactured
  • The engine number and chassis number of the vehicle
  • The color of the vehicle The date of registration
  • The date of expiry of the RC
  • Details of the vehicle owner – their name, address, and signature

What are the Documents Needed to Obtain an RC?

Since the RC of a vehicle is such an important requirement for driving on Indian roads, it is necessary to have all the various documents required for obtaining it in place. The following documents need to be submitted duly at the nearest RTO:

  • Form 20 – application form for vehicle registration duly filled and submitted at the RTO
  • Form 21 – certificate of sales issued by the vehicle dealer
  • Form 22 and Form 22-A – a certificate of roadworthiness issued by the vehicle manufacturer \
  • Passport size photographs of the vehicle owner
  • A copy of the pan card of the vehicle owner
  • A copy of motor insurance duly attested
  • Original invoice received from the dealer and manufacturer of the vehicle
  • RC owner details – proof of address of the owner duly attested
  • Form 34 which the vehicle owner and the financier for the vehicle duly sign and submit
  • The required registration fee for obtaining the RC

Once all of the above documents and the required fee are duly submitted at the RTO, the procedure for issuing the RC to the vehicle owner is initiated.

Also Read: How to check drink and drive case online

Procedure to Secure an RC Book

An RC book is a small, book-like official document stating that the vehicle has been registered with the Government of India. Once a vehicle (two-wheeler or four-wheeler) has been purchased, the immediate next step is to get it registered with an RTO (Road Transport Office) near you.

Note that every new vehicle, whether privately owned or commercial, must be registered with the RTO and must possess a valid RC. An inspection authority at the RTO office would thoroughly inspect the vehicle as part of the registration process. Upon satisfaction of the inspection, the RTO would then issue an RC book or RC Smart Card.

How to Do an Online RC Check?

As mentioned earlier, with everything around us getting digitized, a vehicle RC is no exception. You can now do an RC status check online by simply visiting the official website of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, namely parivahan.gov.in.

Here, you can do a quick RC online check to determine the current status of RC issuance, RC renewal in case of expiry, or any other RC-related task. An online RC verification facilitates the process and saves unnecessary wastage of time and effort.

Conclusion

FAQs: Vehicle Smart Card Registration Certificate (RC) in India

RC number means Registration Certificate Number, which appears on RC cards. Every vehicle in India that is registered is given this special identification number. The RC card is a significant document that includes information on the car, including the number plate number, engine number, registration date, owners name and address.

Author Bio

Paybima Team

Paybima is an Indian insurance aggregator on a mission to make insurance simple for people. Paybima is the Digital arm of the already established and trusted Mahindra Insurance Brokers Ltd., a reputed name in the insurance broking industry with 17 years of experience. Paybima promises you the easy-to-access online platform to buy insurance policies, and also extend their unrelented assistance with all your policy related queries and services.

Choose from India’s top insurers

Other Motor Insurance Products

Latest Post

A bike RC or registration certificate is a document that serves as proof of ownership of the bike and is required to transfer the registration from one state to another. The bike RC transfer process can be completed online and offline by following simple steps. This post will guide you through the bike RC transfer process and the charges and documents required.

See nowSee now

Until recently health insurance has been overlooked by many as not a very significant requirement of life. Although the life insurance of the breadwinner has always been an area of prime importance for many families, the health insurance of the entire family has been neglected. However, things are changing, especially after COVID-19, and family health plans are getting prominence. Moreover, the high cost of medical treatments and the rising number of lethal diseases are other reasons for prioritizing health insurance.  In this post, we are discussing the top 10 health insurance companies in India in terms of their claim settlement ratio (CSR).

See nowSee now

Health is an important yet unpredictable aspect of life. You may be in the best of your health one day and fall seriously sick the other. This makes the importance of health insurance policies evident. Cashless policies are best in this regard to serve the purpose well.

See nowSee now

With each passing year, as people tend to grow older, the constant anxiety of having age-related and other diseases scares them. Further, the increasing cost of medical treatment is another scary situation that most people dread. In such a situation, having a life insurance policy is a must to ensure safety from the frequent costs of medical treatment and hospitalization that an individual or a family might suffer. India has several health insurance providers offering good and comprehensive policies. In this post, let us discuss them to help you buy the best policy.

See nowSee now

Star Health Insurance and Religare (Care Health Insurance) are two insurance giants in India with a whopping number of clients and loyalists. Both insurance companies are standalone health insurers and both present several benefits and offers to customers. In this post, let us take a close look at the differences in both insurers to find the best one and their plans in India.

See nowSee now