India / Driving licence and vehicles

Check vehicle RC details and application status

Use Know Vehicle Details on parivahan.gov.in. Log in with a mobile OTP and enter the registration number. It shows the registering authority, vehicle class, fuel, registration date, insurance and PUC validity and vehicle status, with the owner masked. Your own vehicle's full record is in mParivahan and DigiLocker.

Fee: Free to look up; the certified RC Particulars service on Vahan is paid
Time: A few minutes
How: Online on the Parivahan portal, Vahan citizen services, mParivahan or DigiLocker

Checked against official sources on 13 October 2026. See the 11 sources.

Not confirmed

These points could not be confirmed on an official page on 13 October 2026. Check them with the office or portal before you rely on them.

The results screen of Know Vehicle Details was not opened, because that needs a real mobile number and vehicle number. The list of fields shown and masked is taken from the Ministry's data sharing policy of August 2025, not from the live screen. The policy prints "Owner number, Masked"; whether the live screen shows a partly masked owner name was not seen
Fitness validity, tax validity and permit validity are not in the policy's citizen list. The guide says they are visible in mParivahan on the strength of the Ministry's 2018 procedure, which is older than the current app
The exact label of the option that shows application status by application number on the Vahan citizen portal was not seen today; the menus after the first screen could not be opened without a real vehicle number. The Status menu items quoted are from the Parivahan FAQ
The fee for the RC Particulars service was not found on an official page
Whether the public lookup shows the word "blacklisted" under vehicle status was not seen. The FAQ confirms only the alert shown when a service is attempted on a blacklisted vehicle
The Parivahan Change Of Address page says 14 days; section 49 of the Act says thirty days. The guide follows the Act
How a wrong PUC entry is corrected was not found on an official page

Quick answer

Go to https://parivahan.gov.in, open Informational Services and click Know Vehicle Details. This opens the National Transport Repository page titled "Citizen Login, Vehicle and Driving Licence Details". Enter your mobile number and the security code, verify the OTP, then enter the vehicle registration number.

You see basic, non-personal details of any vehicle. The owner's identity is masked. You can make three lookups a day.

For your own vehicle, the complete record is in the mParivahan app and in DigiLocker. To follow an application you have filed (transfer, address change, duplicate RC and so on), use the VAHAN 4.0 Citizen Services page at vahan.parivahan.gov.in.

Who can apply

Anyone, for the limited lookup. The Ministry's data sharing policy says citizens can have limited access to information on any vehicle after mobile OTP, restricted to three accesses per day.
The registered owner, for complete information, through mParivahan and DigiLocker.
A buyer of a used vehicle should use the lookup to confirm the registering authority, registration date, fuel, hypothecation and vehicle status against the seller's RC before paying.

What you see and what is hidden

The policy lists these fields for a citizen lookup of a registration certificate:

Field	Shown or masked
Vehicle number	Shown
Owner	Masked
Registering authority	Shown
Vehicle class	Shown
Fuel type	Shown
Emission norm	Shown
Hypothecated (loan on the vehicle)	Shown
Registration date	Shown
Insurance valid up to	Shown
PUCC valid up to	Shown
Vehicle status	Shown

Address, mobile number, full chassis and engine numbers are not on this list. Any website or app that offers the owner's full name, address or phone number from a vehicle number is not an official source.

Where each validity can be checked

What	Where
Insurance validity	Know Vehicle Details; mParivahan
PUC (pollution certificate) validity	Know Vehicle Details; the PUCC portal linked from parivahan.gov.in
Fitness validity	mParivahan, for your vehicle or by registration number
Permit validity (transport vehicles)	mParivahan
Road tax	The tax service on Vahan citizen services for your vehicle
Loan (hypothecation)	Know Vehicle Details shows whether the vehicle is hypothecated
Blacklisted or not	Vehicle status in the lookup; Vahan shows an alert when a service is tried on a blacklisted vehicle

Documents you need

A mobile number that can receive an OTP.
The vehicle registration number.
For Vahan services on your own vehicle: the last five digits of the chassis number, and for some options the last five digits of the engine number. Both are printed on the RC.
For application status: the application or transaction number from your receipt.

Steps

Know Vehicle Details

Open https://parivahan.gov.in and under Informational Services click Know Vehicle Details. The direct address is https://services.parivahan.gov.in/ntr/#/knowurdetails/login.
Enter your 10 digit mobile number and the characters shown in the image, and click Get OTP.
Enter the OTP and submit.
Choose the vehicle option (the menu item is named Know Vehicle/DL Details), enter the registration number and search.
Read the result against the RC. Note the dates for insurance and PUCC, and the vehicle status.
The same login has a licence option that shows the licence number, issue date, validity for non-transport and transport, and licensing authority, with the holder's name masked.

mParivahan and DigiLocker

In mParivahan, sign in and add your vehicle to create the Virtual RC. It shows the full record with live validity dates.
In DigiLocker, fetch Registration of Vehicles under Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
Both are explained in the guide on driving licence and RC in DigiLocker.

Application status on Vahan

Open https://vahan.parivahan.gov.in/vahanservice/vahan/. Check the address bar; the page itself carries a security advisory about fraudulent websites.
Enter the Vehicle Registration No., accept the privacy terms and click Proceed.
Open the Status menu. The Parivahan FAQ describes these options in it:

Option	What it does	What it asks for
Check Pending Transaction	Shows a payment or transaction that is stuck, and lets you clear it	Registration number and last five digits of chassis number, or the transaction number
Reprint Receipt/forms	Reprints the fee receipt and forms	Application type, registration number, last five digits of chassis number
Dispose Application	Withdraws an application you no longer want	Registration number, last five digits of chassis and engine numbers, mobile number, OTP

To see how far an application has moved, use the application status option on the same portal with the application number printed on your receipt.
On the first screen, without entering a vehicle number, you can also use Know Your Payment Transaction Status and Verify Receipt.

Certified particulars

If you need the registration particulars as an official record, for example for a court, an insurer or a purchase, Vahan has a paid service called RC Particular. The official flow is: enter the registration number, select RC Particular, enter the chassis number and mobile number, verify the OTP, check the details, pay online and print the receipt.

Fees

Looking up vehicle details, viewing your Virtual RC, and checking application status are free. The RC Particular service carries a fee that is shown on Vahan before payment.

How long it takes

The lookup is instant. Application status changes only when the RTO acts on the file, so the same status can show for several days.

How to check status

See "Application status on Vahan" above. If a payment was debited and the application still shows unpaid, use Check Pending Transaction or Know Your Payment Transaction Status before paying again. The FAQ says a new transaction is not possible until the earlier pending one is settled.

Common problems

What to do when details are wrong

What is wrong	What to do
Insurance shows expired though you renewed	Insurance data reaches VAHAN from insurers through the Insurance Information Bureau. Ask your insurer to correct or upload the policy against the right registration number, and carry the paper policy meanwhile
Mobile number is old or not yours	Use the Update Your Mobile Number link on the Vahan and Sarathi home pages. The FAQ also describes Update User Mobile No on Vahan, which asks for the registration, full chassis and engine numbers
Address is old	Apply for change of address in the RC on Vahan (Form 33). Section 49 of the Motor Vehicles Act gives thirty days from the change
Loan still shows after you repaid it	Apply for hypothecation termination with the bank's papers. See the guide on transferring vehicle ownership, which covers it
Owner name still shows the seller	The transfer of ownership has not been completed. Check that application's status
Name, fuel, class or date entered wrongly by the RTO	Only the registering authority can correct its record. Go with the original RC and sale papers
Vehicle not found at all	Old registrations may not be digitised. The RTO has to add the record

FAQ

Can I find the owner's name from a vehicle number?

Not in full. The official lookup masks the owner. The policy treats personal details as sensitive and shows citizens only non-personal fields. After an accident, give the number to the police, who have full access.

How many vehicles can I check in a day?

Three lookups a day per user, after mobile OTP.

How do I check if a vehicle's insurance is valid?

Know Vehicle Details shows "Insurance valid up to". mParivahan shows the same for your vehicle.

How do I check if a vehicle is blacklisted?

Look at the vehicle status in the lookup. For your own vehicle, Vahan shows an alert when you try any service on a blacklisted vehicle, and the service does not go through. The RTO can tell you the reason.

How do I check a second hand car before buying?

Match the lookup with the seller's RC: registering authority, registration date, fuel, emission norm. Check that hypothecation is not showing, that insurance and PUC are current, and that nothing adverse shows under vehicle status. Then check challans. Ask the seller to show the Virtual RC in mParivahan, which carries the owner's name.

Where do I check my RC transfer or duplicate RC application?

On VAHAN 4.0 Citizen Services, with the vehicle number and the application number from your receipt.

Is the RC status shown online proof of registration?

The Virtual RC in mParivahan and the RC in DigiLocker are accepted in place of the card. The public lookup result is only information. For a certified record use the RC Particular service.

Why does the portal show different details from my RC card?

Officers verify documents against the Vahan database, so a wrong entry there causes trouble even if the card is right. Get the RTO to correct the entry.

Official links

Sources

Every fee, time limit, form and address above was read on these official pages on 13 October 2026.

Parivahan Sewa, home page Supports Know Vehicle Details and Know License Details links under Informational Services, which open the National Transport Repository citizen login; links to Vahan, PUCC and mParivahan
National Transport Repository, citizen login Supports Page titled Citizen Login, Vehicle and Driving Licence Details; login by 10 digit mobile number, security code and OTP; menu item Know Vehicle/DL Details; site belongs to MoRTH and is hosted by NIC
MoRTH, Policy for Data Sharing from the National Transport Repository, circulated by letter of 18 August 2025 (PDF) Supports Citizens get limited access to any vehicle or licence after mobile OTP, limited to three accesses per day; the list of RC and DL fields shown and which are masked; complete information on one's own DL or RC through mParivahan and DigiLocker; virtual RC and DL notified as legally valid; Vehicle Blacklist Status is a field in the Vahan data set
VAHAN 4.0 Citizen Services Supports Entry by Vehicle Registration No. or by state and registering authority; Know Your Payment Transaction Status; Verify Receipt; Feedback/Complaint link; the security advisory about fraudulent websites; the mobile number update link
Parivahan Sewa, FAQ Supports Vahan Status menu items Check Pending Transaction, Reprint Receipt/forms and Dispose Application and the details each asks for; a blacklisted vehicle cannot use any Vahan service until the concerned department removes it; a pending payment blocks new transactions; how to edit an application; Update User Mobile No
Parivahan Sewa, Registration Certificate Particulars process flow (PDF) Supports RC Particular is an online Vahan service reached with the registration number and chassis number, with mobile OTP and an online fee, ending in a fee receipt
MoRTH, Standard Operating Procedure dated 17 December 2018 (PDF hosted by Parivahan) Supports mParivahan shows registration, fitness validity, insurance validity and permit validity by registration number; insurance data is uploaded to VAHAN daily by the Insurance Information Bureau; a pending challan blocks vehicle transactions
MoRTH, S.O. 3680(E) dated 6 July 2026 Supports View Registration Certificate Particulars, Update Mobile Number in Certificate of Registration, Change of Address and Change of Name in Certificate of Registration are listed Vahan services
Parivahan Sewa, Change Of Address Supports Form 33 and documents for recording a change of address in the RC; the page says within 14 days
India Code, Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (PDF) Supports Section 49, change of address to be intimated within thirty days
Parivahan Sewa, Contact Us Supports Vahan helpdesk email and phone number with hours; mParivahan helpdesk email

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