If your car's registration certificate (RC) is lost, stolen, torn or too faded to read, you can apply for a duplicate RC from the RTO where the car is registered. The application is made on Form 26 and, in Delhi NCR, is usually filed online through the Parivahan Vahan portal. If the RC is lost or stolen, report it to the police first, because the application asks for those details.
A duplicate RC keeps the same registration number and owner details as the original. It matters most when you sell, because an ownership transfer needs the RC.
Duplicate RC: the short version
- Who issues it: the RTO that last registered the car, even if you now live in another NCR city.
- Police report: needed if the RC is lost or stolen. For a damaged RC, you hand in the damaged card.
- Car on loan: the financier must be asked for a no-objection certificate (NOC) first.
- Fee: ₹300 for a private car under the central fee table, plus smart card and postal charges where they apply.
- While you wait: the digital RC in DigiLocker or mParivahan is accepted at traffic checks.
The rules behind a duplicate RC
Section 41(14) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 says an application for a duplicate RC goes to the last registering authority. Rule 53 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), 1989 adds the detail: if the RC is lost or destroyed, the owner must report it at the police station and inform the RTO in writing, then apply on Form 26 with the fee set under Rule 81.
Form 26 covers an RC that is lost, destroyed, torn, soiled or mutilated. In it you explain what happened, declare that the registration has not been suspended or cancelled, give the date of your police complaint, and state whether the car is under a hire-purchase, lease or hypothecation (loan) agreement. The financier signs a separate section.
Documents you will usually need
The Delhi Transport Department's citizen charter asks for Form 26, an FIR or NCR (non-cognisable report) if the RC is lost, the original if mutilated, and attested insurance. Keep these ready:
- Form 26 (generated during the online application, or downloaded)
- Police report for a lost or stolen RC, or the damaged RC itself
- Valid insurance and a valid PUC certificate
- ID and address proof of the registered owner, such as Aadhaar
- Financier's NOC or signature on Form 26, if the car is hypothecated
- An affidavit or a pencil print of the chassis number, only if your RTO asks
Filing the police report in Delhi, Haryana and UP
In Delhi, you can report a lost document online through the Delhi Police Lost Report service, which gives you a digitally signed report to print and is meant for getting lost documents reissued. If the RC was stolen, say along with a bag, file a theft e-FIR instead.
UP Police's UPCOP app includes lost-item reporting for owners in Noida and Ghaziabad, and Haryana Police offers online registration of lost property for Gurugram and Faridabad. If your RTO wants a specific type of report, it will tell you.
How to apply for a duplicate RC online on Vahan
- Get the police report first and keep its number and date handy.
- Open the portal. On parivahan.gov.in, go to Online Services, choose Vehicle Related Services, and select the state and RTO where the car is registered.
- Pick the service. Under RC-related services, choose the duplicate RC option.
- Verify the vehicle with the registration number, the last five digits of the chassis number, and an OTP sent to the mobile number linked to the car.
- Fill in the Form 26 details: the reason (lost, stolen or damaged), the police report details, and a check of the owner and vehicle details.
- Authenticate or upload. With Aadhaar-based authentication, you may not need to upload documents; otherwise, upload scans as asked.
- Pay and save the receipt, application number and generated form.
- Visit if asked. Some RTOs call applicants in for verification or want signed forms, including the financier's.
- Track the status on the portal with your application number.
If the car's registered mobile number is no longer yours, ask the RTO how to update it first.
What differs across Delhi, Haryana and UP
Delhi added duplicate RC to its faceless services in August 2021. Under the transport department's operating procedure, an applicant who completes Aadhaar e-KYC does not upload documents; the RC is sent by speed post and can also be downloaded from DigiLocker or mParivahan. Applicants who don't use Aadhaar upload documents instead.
Nationally, the road transport ministry (MoRTH) listed duplicate RC among services that can be done online with Aadhaar authentication in March 2021, and expanded the list to 58 services in September 2022, with Aadhaar use voluntary. RTOs in Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida and Ghaziabad use the same Vahan system, but whether you need a visit depends on the office.
Duplicate RC fees and timeline
Under the CMVR Rule 81 fee table, a duplicate RC costs half the registration fee for that vehicle class. The standard registration fee for a private car is ₹600, so the duplicate RC fee is ₹300. Delhi's citizen charter adds ₹200 for the smart card and ₹30 for postage, which comes to ₹530 at those rates.
Treat that as a guide; the portal shows the exact amount before you pay. The Delhi charter sets a 30-day limit for this service, though actual times depend on the RTO, document checks and whether you need to visit.
Using the digital RC while you wait
In August 2018, MoRTH asked states to accept the RC and driving licence shown through DigiLocker or mParivahan as valid documents, at par with those issued by transport authorities. CMVR amendments in force from 1 October 2020 added that once an officer has verified documents electronically, physical copies should not be demanded.
So the digital RC covers you at a traffic check, but it does not replace the duplicate. RTO processes such as ownership transfer and loan removal list the original RC as a required document.
Selling a car when the RC is lost
You cannot complete a sale properly without the RC. The transfer application, Form 30, records the RC as enclosed, and Delhi's charter lists the original RC for a transfer of ownership. Apply for the duplicate first, then start the transfer once it arrives. Our guide to used car ownership transfer in Delhi NCR covers Forms 29 and 30 step by step.
Handing over the car with only a photocopy, a police report or a promise to send the RC later leaves it registered in your name while someone else drives it.
If the car is on loan
Under Section 51 of the Motor Vehicles Act, the owner must ask the financier for an NOC before applying for a duplicate RC. The financier has seven days to issue it or refuse it with written reasons; if it does neither, the NOC is treated as issued. You then submit the NOC, the financier's reply, or a declaration that no reply came.
Removing the loan entry after closure (Form 35) also needs the original RC under Delhi's charter.
If the registered owner has died
The legal heir transfers ownership through a separate process. Delhi's charter lists Form 31, the death certificate, the original RC and legal-heir documents. If the RC is also missing, ask the RTO which step comes first.
Buying a car that comes with a duplicate RC
A duplicate RC is a legal document and usually has a dull explanation: a lost wallet, a torn card, a faded print. It still deserves a few extra questions.
- Ask why and when. Ask for the police report or the reason, and note when the duplicate was issued.
- Check the official record. Match the owner name, registration date, RTO, model and fuel on the card with the government record. Hooter's free RC details check shows these along with insurance validity.
- Look for a loan entry. If a financier is listed, ask for the bank's NOC and loan closure letter. Our guide on checking a used car for loans or hypothecation explains how.
- Match the numbers. The chassis and engine numbers on the car must match the RC and the record.
- Clear the rest. Check pending challans, insurance and PUC using this RC, insurance and challan checklist.
Paper alone proves little. In 2021, Delhi Police's Crime Branch arrested three men who allegedly used forged financier NOCs to get bank loans removed from RCs before selling the cars through dealers. Walk away if the seller is not the registered owner, the story behind the duplicate keeps changing, a loan shows on record without closure papers, or you are pushed to pay before the checks are done.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Starting the online application before filing the police report.
- Applying at the RTO near your home instead of the one that registered the car.
- Leaving the financier out on a car that is, or was, on loan.
- Selling on a photocopy or digital RC and planning to sort out the RC later.
- Putting the old card back in use if it turns up later. Tell the RTO instead.
FAQs
Can I get a duplicate RC in Delhi without visiting the RTO?
Often, yes. Delhi made duplicate RC a faceless service in 2021, and with Aadhaar e-KYC its procedure needs no document upload, though the RTO can still call you in.
What is the duplicate RC fee for a car?
₹300 for a private car under the central fee table, plus ₹200 for the smart card and ₹30 postage according to Delhi's charter. The portal shows the exact amount before payment.
Can I sell my car without the RC?
Not properly. Ownership transfer needs the RC, so get the duplicate first and then file Forms 29 and 30.
Is the DigiLocker RC valid if I have lost the original?
Yes, for showing to traffic police, but it is not a substitute where an RTO process asks for the original RC.
My car has a UP number but I live in Delhi. Where do I apply?
With the RTO that registered the car, since the law sends duplicate RC applications to the last registering authority.
Final word
A lost RC can be fixed in a few steps: file the police report, apply on Form 26 through Vahan with the RTO that registered the car, bring in the financier if there is a loan, and use the DigiLocker copy meanwhile. If you are selling, wait for the duplicate before agreeing on a handover date. Once it arrives, you can list the car on Hooter's sell-your-car page.