Govt removes one-year limit on NOC applications for old vehicles

The Delhi Government has lifted the one-year restriction on applying for No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for deregistered vehicles.

The decision, announced by Transport Minister Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh on Thursday, will enable owners of diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years to obtain NOCs for re-registration in other states, regardless of when their vehicle’s registration expired.

Until now, under the “Guidelines for Handling End of Life Vehicles in Public Places of Delhi, 2024,” vehicle owners were required to apply for an NOC within one year of registration expiry. Vehicles beyond this period were considered ineligible for transfer, leaving many owners unable to move or dispose of their old vehicles. The new order keeps this clause in abeyance, effectively removing the time limit.

The decision comes as Delhi continues to enforce the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) directives banning older vehicles from plying within the city due to their contribution to air pollution.

By removing the time cap on NOC applications, the government aims to provide a legal route for transferring such vehicles outside the National Capital Region, reducing congestion and emissions within Delhi.

Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh said, “We found that the one-year deadline for NOC was creating an unintended logjam, leaving lakhs of vehicles stranded in Delhi. These vehicles were neither being scrapped nor could they be moved out, leading to potential pollution and congestion.”

He added, “This decision will systematically phase out a significant number of older vehicles from Delhi’s roads, giving a direct boost to our efforts in improving air quality and decongesting the city,” he added.

The order is expected to facilitate the legal transfer of old vehicles to regions where they can still operate under local regulations.

Officials said the decision followed multiple public representations and departmental reviews that highlighted the difficulties faced by owners whose vehicles were deregistered but could not be moved due to the restrictive clause.

The Transport Department noted that the earlier orders issued in 2021 and 2022

were based on the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which had mandated the deregistration of older vehicles to reduce emissions in Delhi.

With this change, vehicle owners can now apply for NOCs irrespective of the time elapsed since the registration’s expiration, provided their vehicles meet the necessary transfer and roadworthiness conditions in the destination state.

The Transport Department expects this measure to help clear the backlog of deregistered vehicles and streamline their removal from Delhi’s roads while reinforcing compliance with environmental norms.

Will help owners dispose of old vehicles

• Officials say the decision follows multiple public representations and departmental reviews that highlighted the difficulties faced by owners whose vehicles were deregistered but could not be moved due to the restrictive clause.
• The Transport Department expects this measure to help clear the backlog of deregistered vehicles and streamline their removal from Delhi’s roads while reinforcing compliance with eco-norms.