How to renew a PUC certificate online & offline

A PUC (Pollution Under Control) certificate is a document that validates whether a vehicle’s emissions levels are within permissible levels, or that it has ‘pollution under control’. A valid PUC certificate is mandatory for all vehicles in India. However, as anyone who’s ever paid a fine for riding or driving with an expired PUC certificate might tell you, it’s sometimes easy to overlook. A PUC certificate is valid for one year for new vehicles and must be renewed periodically thereafter. 

We’ll dive into PUC certificate renewal online and offline, validity of a PUC certificate, what the cost of PUC renewal is as well as what could affect your car’s PUCC renewal. We’ll also touch upon ways to be reminded that your car’s PUC certificate is nearing expiry so that you’re not caught unaware. 

Join the CARS24 official auto community, CLUTCH, for interesting discussions, news and more.

Note: Laws and regulations regarding PUC certificates can vary by state or region. It's always best to consult your local RTO or transport department for the most accurate and up-to-date information.

Understanding PUC certificate renewal

As previously stated, the PUC certificate is a mandatory document required to run your vehicle on Indian roads. Every vehicle is thus legally required to possess a valid PUC certificate. New vehicles (both 4-wheelers and 2-wheelers) are issued a PUC certificate with a one year validity from the dealer. Pollution under control certificate renewal is the responsibility of the vehicle owner. 

Failure to do so while still continuing to ply on the road can attract a fine, impoundment of the vehicle, or suspension of driver’s license depending on state laws. Fines for expired PUC certificates can range from ₹1,000 to ₹2,000 for first-time offences and second-time offences respectively, though this can vary from state to state. 

It is also important to understand that PUC testing ensures that your vehicle’s emissions are within permissible limits. If your vehicle’s emissions do not comply with these limits, it could also be a sign that the vehicle’s engine health is in poor condition, or that some other part of its exhaust system is not performing as it was designed to. This could lead to early diagnosis of any potential mechanical issues. That aside, every citizen has to help curb air pollution, and ensuring your own vehicle’s pollution is within limits is a good first step.

PUC certificate renewal online process

Vehicle owners cannot renew an expired PUCC online. It is only possible to download your vehicle’s current/active PUC certificate online through thePUCC section of the Parivahan website. These are the steps to obtain your vehicle’s PUCC online. 

• Visit the Parivahan website
• Choose the ‘PUC certificate’ option in the drop down menu 
• Fill in your vehicle registration number, last five digits of chassis number and website security code
• Your vehicle’s PUC details will be displayed for download or printing

One cannot renew PUC online, as a vehicle must visit an authorised PUC testing centre for emissions testing. The PUCC renewal will only be completed once the vehicle completes the testing procedure and is found to be within permissible limits.

PUC certificate renewal offline process

The only way to legally renew a vehicle’s PUC certificate is to physically visit a pollution testing centre and undergo the testing procedure. Authorised PUC testing centres can be found in certain petrol pumps and RTOs, even mobile PUC testing centres are available. These are the steps for PUC certificate renewal offline: 

• At the pollution testing centre, the test will begin with the exhaust gas analyser probe placed in the exhaust pipe of your vehicle
• Extra equipment is used for diesel engines to monitor engine speed during the test
• Turn on the ignition and let the engine idle for petrol engines
• Diesel engines require a different testing procedure to a pre-specified engine speed to obtain accurate readings
• The exhaust gas values are recorded on a computer and printed on the PUC certificate along with a picture of the car and license plate as verification 
• PUC certificate will mention a serial number of the test, vehicle registration number, emission test readings, date of test and validity of PUCC

Documents required for PUC renewal

The documents required for PUC renewal are your vehicle’s registration information as printed on the RC card and usually the previous PUC certificate. Since PUC data is stored on the centralised platform of Vahan, the test can be completed even without the previous PUC certificate.

How to renew PUC certificate for out-of-state vehicles

PUC certificates are valid all across India and can be renewed in any state across the country. Out-of-state vehicles only need to visit any authorised PUC testing centre and pass the test for PUC certificate renewal. No extra steps are required even if the vehicle is not in its home state, or state it was registered in.

Benefits of PUC certificate renewal

Every vehicle is mandated by law to have a valid PUC certificate to legally ply on the road. With that in mind, the biggest benefit of PUC renewal is in maintaining the legality of your vehicle. 

• Ensures legality of vehicle: Having a valid PUC certificate can save you from expensive fines if caught with an expired PUC certificate
• Pollution levels are verified: Renewing your vehicle’s PUC certificate ensures that its exhaust emissions are within permissible levels 
• Vehicle health update: A failed PUC test is a good indicator that your vehicle’s engine may be in questionable health, signalling time for a service or further diagnosis 
• Ability to renew insurance: A valid PUC certificate is required to renew vehicle insurance, another document needed to legally use a vehicle on the road

Cost of renewing a PUC certificate: PUCC renewal fee

There are very nominal charges associated with renewing a PUC certificate. PUCC renewal fees range from ₹ 60 to ₹ 125 at authorised PUC testing centres but can vary from state to state, also depending on your vehicle’s fuel type. PUC testing centres charging any amount over and above the specified amount may not be authorised centres.

Check validity of PUC certificate

It is possible to check the validity of your vehicle’s PUC certificate online through the Vahan portal. Follow the same steps outlined in the PUC certificate online renewal process above to ascertain the validity. An easy way to keep track of your vehicle’s PUC certificate validity is to set a reminder for the duration of validity as soon as your vehicle is given a valid PUCC. Set a reminder for two weeks before the end of validity to give you time to ensure PUC certificate renewal is done in time.

Common issues that may affect renewal

Ironically, owners of both older vehicles that meet BSIII standards, or owners of newer vehicles that meet or exceed BSVI standards have reported issues at the time of PUC certificate renewal. In the case of older vehicles, especially two-wheelers, it is possible that exhaust gas emissions exceed the newly prescribed limits due to poor tuning or carbon deposits in the engine. The solution is usually to get the vehicle serviced and/or tuned correctly before a PUC renewal test. 

On the other hand, many owners of new BSVI vehicles report that testing centres sometimes refuse to test their vehicles as their equipment simply cannot read the very low level of emissions. BSVI-compliant vehicles have also been known to fail PUC tests, as their recorded emissions are zero, which leads to an automatic failure of the test. Make sure you visit a trusted and authorised PUC testing centre to get the best results.

Conclusion

The PUC certificate renewal process is simple in most cases. The vehicle only needs to visit a pollution testing centre, undergo testing and pay the prescribed fees to obtain a PUCC.

FAQs

Q. Can I renew my PUC certificate entirely online?

No, a PUC certificate cannot be renewed online. You can only view or download a valid PUC certificate through the Vahan portal.

Q. What documents do I need to renew my PUC certificate online?

No documents are required to renew a PUC certificate online as a physical visit to the pollution testing centre is required. There you will have to produce your vehicle’s RC card to verify the registration. 

Q. How often do I need to renew my PUC certificate?

New vehicles are issued a PUC certificate with a one-year validity period. Older vehicles, either over three years old or BSIV and prior, need the PUC certificate to be renewed every six months. Newer vehicles or BSVI and above need to be renewed every year until they are over five years old. 

Q. Can I get a PUC certificate at a petrol pump?

Yes, a PUC certificate can be obtained at a petrol pump with pollution testing facilities. 

Q. How long does it take to get a PUC certificate?

The process of getting a PUC certificate online is instantaneous, while getting a PUC certificate renewed offline can take between 5-20 minutes depending on the age and health of the vehicle undergoing testing.

Q. What if my vehicle fails the emission test?

If your vehicle fails the emissions test, a notice is sent to the RTO with the vehicle’s registration number within one day of the test. The vehicle owner is given seven days to retake the test and get a favourable result. 

Q. What to do if your PUC certificate renewal is rejected?

If your vehicle’s PUC certificate renewal is rejected, it is possible to retake the pollution test after servicing the vehicle or rectifying any issues that caused it to fail. 

Q. Is the PUC certificate valid across India?

A valid PUC certificate is valid across all states in India. A vehicle’s PUC certificate can be renewed in any state, even if not in the home state.