What Is the PUC Certificate Validity For New Four-wheelers?

A PUC Certificate is abbreviated as the Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC). It is a certification provided to vehicles whose emission levels are within the permissible limits stated under The Central Motor Vehicles Act of 1988.

The regulation on pollution control was introduced to find the vehicles that contribute to emitting harmful gases into the atmosphere and penalise them for reducing air pollution.

The Pollution Under Control Certificate will be issued to the vehicles after inspecting and verifying the emission levels at an authorised emission testing centre.

The information contained in the vehicle's PUC Certificate is as follows:

• Vehicle's registration certificate

• Serial number of the PUC Certificate

• Date when the emission test was done

• PUC Certificate expiry date

• Recorded emission level details

With the extent of usage and ageing, the emission levels vary for four-wheeler vehicles. Therefore, the Government set mandatory guidelines for getting the vehicles checked at periodic intervals and obtaining the Pollution Under Control Certificate.

The validity of the PUC Certificate for the new and old vehicles is stated as follows:

New vehicle PUC validity: The PUC validity for a new car is one year. After one year, it is subject to regular renewals. In some states, you are allowed to drive a brand-new car for the first six months of buying it without any PUCC.

Old vehicle PUC validity: The PUC validity for old cars is six months. Therefore, after one year of purchase and subsequent years, the vehicles must be checked for emission levels every six months to obtain the PUC Certificate. In adverse scenarios, the validity period can be even lesser depending on the recorded emission levels.

According to Section 190(2) of The Central Motor Vehicles Act of 1988, having a valid Pollution Under Control Certificate is mandatory. Vehicles not having a valid PUC Certificate will be liable to pay the applicable penalties as follows:

• ₹1000 if identified for the first time.

• ₹2000 if identified repeatedly

It can also lead to imprisonment of up to 3 months in adverse cases.

The Government has eased the process of obtaining and ensuring PUC Certificate validity for the vehicles and introduced options to download the certificate online. Here are a few necessary steps to help you with the process.

Steps To Obtain The PUC Certificate

• Take your four-wheeler to an emission test centre. There are fuel stations with emission test centres throughout the country. In addition, there are standalone licenced emission testing centres and other authorised centres with computerised emission testing equipment. Here is a link to the PUC Centre List.

• The testing centre operator will examine your vehicle and the exhaust system to find the emission levels. The limits are specific to every State.

• Upon successful examination, the operator will get the PUC Certificate generated.

• Pay the required fees and get the PUC Certificate.

• If your vehicle does not comply with the required standards, you will receive a rejection slip. You will have to find the reasons and take the necessary actions on your vehicle to get the PUC Certificate.

• The cost for obtaining a PUC Certificate can range from ₹60 to ₹100 for a four-wheeler.

Steps To Download PUC Certificate Online

• Visit the Parivahan website for the PUC Certificate and related online services managed by The Ministry Of Road Transport And Highways.

• Click the option "PUC Certificate".

• Provide the Registration Number, the last 5 characters of the Chassis Number, and the code below.

• Click the option for "PUC Details". You can check the validity of the PUC Certificate for your new car with the expiry date.

• Download or print the PUC Certificate.

PUC Certificate is an essential document that you need to have for your four-wheeler vehicle. And it is important to check your old or new car pollution certificate validity for the following reasons.

To comply with the regulations of the Government Ensuring new vehicle PUC validity is critical to comply with the regulations of the Government as stated under The Central Motor Vehicles Act of 1988. It can lead to severe penalties or imprisonment, as stated above.

Understand your vehicle's condition When you renew your PUC Certificate every six months, you can understand your car's emission conditions to take the necessary actions to maintain it to the best standards.

Morally responsible In addition, it is essential to have a valid PUC Certificate and have the emission levels under control for your four-wheeler as a moral responsibility to safeguard the environment. Every individual taking this responsibility can bring a massive impact on the mission towards having a cleaner environment.

To purchase motor insurance Having insurance for your car is a financial responsibility. It helps provide additional protection to your vehicle and reduces your financial burden by covering third-party liabilities, ensuring comprehensive coverage for your four-wheeler, etc. And having a valid new vehicle pollution certificate is a requirement to buy motor insurance.

Now that you know how to obtain a PUCC, get your car insurance as well if you do not have it already. To buy car insurance or for car insurance renewal online, you can choose Tata AIG, a name synonymous with trust. We offer all types of car insurance policies, and you can compare them all on our website to know which one serves you best.

The Pollution Under Control Certificate (PUCC) is an important and mandatory certification required for your four-wheeler, according to The Central Motor Vehicles Act of 1988. It checks for your car's emission levels and ensures it is under the permissible levels for your State. The new vehicle's PUC validity is one year, after which it has to be checked every six months. Furthermore, having a valid PUC Certificate is important to comply with the regulation, purchase car insurance and be a responsible citizen contributing to a cleaner environment.