LEH: Owners, buyers and dealers of second-hand vehicles in Ladakh have been put on notice, with the Regional Transport Office ordering immediate compliance with mandatory ownership-transfer and registration requirements and warning that vehicles found on public roads without registration reflecting their current ownership may be seized and detained.
The warning has been issued by the Regional Transport Officer, Ladakh through a public notice, in continuation of an earlier September 2 notice regarding mandatory authorisation certificates for dealers of registered/second-hand motor vehicles.
Under the notice, both sellers and purchasers are responsible for completing the transfer of ownership with the concerned Registering Authority. Sellers have been directed to report the transfer and hand over the registration certificate, while buyers must report the transfer within the prescribed period and ensure that the ownership change is entered in the registration certificate.
The RTO has specifically directed all dealers and purchasers who have bought second-hand or used vehicles to immediately apply for and complete transfer of ownership/registration with the concerned RTO/ARTO. Applications can be submitted through the Vahan/Parivahan portal or at the office of the Registering Authority, as applicable.
The notice invokes Section 39 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, under which a motor vehicle cannot be driven in a public place unless it is duly registered and its registration certificate has not been suspended or cancelled. It also cites Section 50, which prescribes the procedure for transfer of ownership.
The RTO has made it clear that the compliance requirements extend to dealers as well. Under Rules 55A to 55E of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, as amended with effect from April 1, 2023, a person cannot act as a dealer of a registered vehicle without a valid Authorisation Certificate in Form 29B.
Registered owners are required to electronically intimate delivery of vehicles to authorised dealers through Form 29C. Once the form is successfully submitted, the authorised dealer becomes the deemed owner and remains responsible for the vehicle until its further transfer.
The notice further directs authorised dealers to comply with electronic intimation requirements and maintain prescribed inventory and trip registers.
The warning becomes particularly significant for vehicles that continue to operate despite ownership details not being updated. According to the RTO notice, any vehicle being used in a public place without a valid registration certificate reflecting the correct current ownership, or otherwise in violation of Sections 39 or 50, is liable to seizure and detention under Section 207 of the Motor Vehicles Act.
In addition, action may be initiated under Section 177, with the notice specifying a fine of up to ₹500 for the first offence and ₹1,500 for a second or subsequent offence.
The RTO has also warned that unauthorised dealers may face action under Rule 55A read with Section 177, including administrative measures such as blacklisting and sealing of their premises.
The department said the directions have been issued in the interest of transparency, prevention of fraudulent transactions, protection of public interest and strict enforcement of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules.
The notice effectively puts the onus on the entire second-hand vehicle transaction chain—from the original owner and purchaser to the dealer—to ensure that a vehicle’s registration record corresponds with its actual current ownership.
