The Maharashtra Transport Department has ordered a special 13-day inspection drive from October 5 to October 17, targeting vehicles registered in other states but being regularly used in Maharashtra for more than one year. The drive has been ordered by Transport Commissioner Rajesh Narvekar.
The action is not a blanket ban on out-of-state vehicles. Rather, RTO officials will identify vehicles that have effectively been based in Maharashtra beyond the permitted period but have not been re-registered in Maharashtra or paid the applicable state motor vehicle tax.
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Reason For Crackdown
According to the Transport Department, the focus of the crackdown is on ensuring compliance with registration and taxation requirements. The move also comes amid concerns that some owners may register vehicles in states or Union Territories where taxation is lower while using those vehicles primarily in Maharashtra, Free Press Journal reported.
The department is particularly interested in establishing whether vehicles registered outside Maharashtra are actually being used on a long-term basis within the state.
While being registered in another state is not itself a violation, the issue arises when a vehicle remains in Maharashtra and is used there beyond the legally permitted period without completing the required fomalities.
Law
Under Section 47 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, a vehicle registered in one state can be kept and used in another state for up to 12 months. If it is to remain there beyond that period, the owner has to apply for a new registration mark in the state where the vehicle is being kept.
The Maharashtra Transport Department itself states that a vehicle registered in another state must be registered in Maharashtra and allotted a new registration number if it is brought into the state for use for more than a year.
The department's guidance also lists documents required for re-registration or new registration mark process, including the original registration certificate, insurance, PUC, applicable forms, a No Objection Certificate from the original registering authority and, where applicable, financier consent, FPJ reported.
RTO Crackdown
RTO officials have been instructed to examine vehicle documents and other available evidence to establish how long an out-of-state vehicle has actually been operating in Maharashtra.
The officials will therefore have to determine whether the vehicle is temporarily visiting Maharashtra, genuinely based in another state or effectively being kept and used in Maharashtra on a long-term basis.
Checks and Action
The special drive will be conducted across Maharashtra. According to reports based on the department's order, enforcement teams, flying squads and checking points will be deployed at locations where such vehicles are likely to be found, including metropolitan areas, industrial areas, residential complexes, malls and commercial locations, large parking facilities, and other locations where out-of-state vehicles are regularly used.
Where officials establish that a vehicle is liable for Maharashtra re-registration and tax but has not complied, the department can initiate action under the applicable rules. The October drive specifically provides for detention of vehicles where warranted, along with action relating to re-registration and recovery of applicable moto vehicle tax.
The department has also ordered officials to maintain records of the enforcement action. A digital record through Google Sheets will capture information including registration number, action taken, number of vehicles detained and tax recovered.
A consolidated report is expected to be submitted to the Transport Commissioner's office after the drive ends on October 17.
The crackdown comes against the backdrop of a separate Maharashtra Transport Department verification exercise involving 5,664 high value vehicles. These vehicles were reportedly sold by dealers in Maharashtra during 2025-26 but subsequently registered outside Maharashtra, FPJ reported.
Each vehicle was valued at more than Rs 50 lakh. The list includes luxury cars, sports cars, trucks, cranes and excavators. Officials are examining their registration documents, owners' addresses, usage patterns and the reason why they were registered outside Maharashtra.
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