New Delhi: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) yesterday extended the validity of motor vehicle documents like Driving Licence (DL), Registration Certificate (RC) and permits till Sept. 30, 2021.

This means that the documents such as vehicle fitness certificate, permit, driving licence, registration, etc., that have expired since Feb. 1, 2020 can be renewed till Sept. 30. The decision has been taken in view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ministry has advised the enforcement authorities that the validity of fitness, permit (all types), licence, registration or any other concerned document(s) may be treated to be valid till Sept. 30, 2021.

“This covers all documents whose validity has expired since Feb. 1, 2020 or would expire by Sept. 30, 2021. This will help out citizens in availing transport-related services, while maintaining social distancing,” it said in an advisory.

The Ministry also added that all the States and Union Territories must implement this advisory in letter and spirit so that citizens, transporters and various other organisations, which are operating under this difficult time, may not get harassed and   face difficulties. 

However, the Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates have been exempted from the extension, as clarified by officials. In a similar extension provided earlier on Mar. 26, the Government had extended the validity of all such documents that had expired between February 2020 and June 30, 2021, again citing pandemic-related restrictions.

Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari also said that the validity of documents related to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 has been extended till Sept. 30, 2021. “This covers all documents whose validity has expired since Feb.1, 2020 or would expire by Sept. 30, 2021. Enforcement authorities are advised to treat such documents valid till Sept. 30, 2021,” he tweeted.