The Telangana Road Transport Authority (RTA) has begun strict enforcement of rules that require every vehicle in the state to hold valid motor insurance and a Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate. The move was announced in Hyderabad on November 6, 2026. Vehicles without either document face immediate suspension of the Registration Certificate (RC) and driving licence.
The enforcement follows the state’s full integration of vehicle records into the central Vahan portal. Officials say the system now tracks expiry dates automatically and sends SMS alerts to registered owners. Enforcement action begins if owners do not comply after the alerts. Driving without insurance is already a criminal offence under the Motor Vehicles Act. The new rules add administrative blocks on services and tougher physical penalties.
Penalties rise with each repeat offence:
- First offence: fine of ₹2,000
- Second offence: fine of ₹4,000
- Third offence: vehicle seizure
Suspension of the RC and driving licence also blocks other RTA services. These include fitness certificates, ownership transfers and address changes. Authorities estimate that about 50 percent of the state’s vehicles lack a valid insurance policy, a valid PUC certificate, or both.
Telangana has about 1.82 crore registered vehicles. These include roughly 1.2 crore two-wheelers, 23.3 lakh cars and cabs, and 12 lakh tractors and goods vehicles. Greater Hyderabad alone accounts for about 93 lakh vehicles. Earlier RTA data, reported by The Times of India, showed that more than 90 percent of vehicles once lacked a valid PUC certificate and over 1.4 crore vehicles were uninsured.
The policy aligns with recent Supreme Court directions that require states to freeze online vehicle services and block PUC issuance for vehicles with unpaid traffic challans. The transport department is also expanding digital enforcement, including plans for automatic number-plate recognition (ANPR) cameras that can issue challans for expired PUC certificates. Owners are advised to check their insurance and PUC status on the Vahan/Parivahan portal and renew expired documents. Access to routine RTA services stays frozen until they comply.
