Government of India amends Central Motor Vehicles Rules to include ‘unpaid user fee’ at toll collection units in National Highway sections
The Government of India has amended the Central Motor Vehicles Rules to include ‘unpaid user fee’ at toll collection units in National Highway sections, and as per this new amendment, NOC will not be granted for Vehicle Transfer, Fitness Renewal, and Permits, if the vehicles have any pending toll dues.
As per the announcement by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), today on 20 January 2026, the Government of India has notified the ‘Central Motor Vehicles (Second Amendment) Rules, 2026’, introducing key changes to the ‘Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989’.
Details of the Central Motor Vehicles (Second Amendment) Rules, 2026
These new amendments link the clearance of unpaid National Highway user fee with vehicle-related services. Here are the details:
Definition of ‘unpaid user fee’
Under the amended rules, a new definition of ‘unpaid user fee’ has been introduced and it refers to the user fee payable for the use of a National Highway section, where Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system has recorded the vehicle’s passage, but the applicable fee has not been received in accordance with the National Highways Act, 1956.
Details of the provisions of the amended rules
- As per the provisions of this amendment, a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for transfer of ownership or transfer of a vehicle from one State to another shall not be granted until any unpaid user fee is cleared.
- In addition to it, any renewal or generation of a Certificate of Fitness will not be permitted for vehicles, unless outstanding user fee dues have been paid.
- For commercial vehicles seeking a National Permit, the amended rules make it mandatory that the vehicle must not have any unpaid user fee.
Further details of the amendment
Corresponding changes have also been made to ‘Form 28’, which now requires applicants to disclose whether any demand for an unpaid user fee at a toll plaza is pending against the vehicle, along with relevant details.
Promoting digital processes, the rules also enable the electronic issuance of relevant portions of ‘Form 28’ through the designated online portal.
The ‘Form 28’ is application for a No Objection Certificate (NOC), a key document required for transferring vehicle ownership to another state or district confirming the vehicle has no pending taxes, challans, or legal issues.
As per MoRTH, these Amendments will also help in user fee collection after the implementation of the Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) system, that will enable barrier-less tolling on the National Highway network.
Currently, the user fee or the toll is collected through the vehicle's FASTag as it read by the sensors at the toll plazas along the national highways and expressways in India.
As per the announcement by MoRTH, these new amendments are aimed at improving user fee compliance, enhancing efficiency of Electronic Toll Collection and discouraging user fee evasion on National Highways.
- Government of India Amends Central Motor Vehicles Rules to Strengthen User Fee Payments - Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, on PIB. Posted On: 20 JAN 2026 6:09PM by PIB Delhi