Physical document check must for vehicle ownership transfer in Bengal
Times of India | 1 July 2025
Kolkata: The state Transport Department issued fresh directives mandating vehicle owners to physically confirm ownership transfer before a designated official. The move is aimed at tightening regulations around the resale of used vehicles and curb unauthorised transactions. Dedicated counters at Motor Vehicle offices will operate every first working day of the week for this purpose, though confirmations may also be made on any other working day during office hours.
The fresh directive mandates stricter compliance with the Central Motor Vehicles (Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Rules, 2022. Highlighting the legal responsibility of vehicle owners under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, the department has now made it mandatory for vehicle owners to verify the credentials of used car dealers before handing over their vehicles. The fresh directives outline the key requirements, including (a) verification of dealer authorisation: before transfer, vehicle owners must verify Form-29B under Rule-55A to ensure the dealer is authorised to handle used cars. (b) Record retention: owners must collect and retain a copy of Form-29C under Rule-55B at the time of handing over the vehicle and documents. (c) Dealer obligations: dealers must apply electronically for authorisation through Form-29A and strictly comply with the provisions of the department's earlier order dated March 29, 2023. The official date of ownership transfer will be reckoned from the date of confirmation by the original owner, reinforcing the need for timely compliance. From the date of taking possession to the date of resale, all statutory liabilities, including taxes, must be cleared by the dealer. Dealers must also ensure that the registered owner has cleared all dues up to the date of transfer confirmation. Recently, some vehicles, which changed multiple hands without changing the ownership, were widely used for committing crimes. The new guidelines, through an official notification issued by transport secretary, Saumitra Mohan, come in the wake of reports indicating widespread non-compliance among registered vehicle dealers and online resale platforms.