A vehicle fitness certificate is an official document issued by the government of India that states that the vehicle owned by the certificate holder is fit for being driven on the roads of India. Apart from the fact that a fitness certificate gives proof of the mechanical well-being of the vehicle, it also serves as an important document when it comes to filing for accidental claims against own damage or for third party insurance. Just as insurance providers check the vehicle owner details, they also consider all relevant vehicle documents such as the insurance papers, pollution certificate and as mentioned before, the fitness certificate.

According to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, it is mandatory for all vehicles plying on the roads to have a valid fitness certificate. The vehicle must have a fitness certificate that is issued by the manufacturer, and one issued by the respective Regional Transport Offices (RTO) in India after thorough physical inspection of the vehicle. For valid registration of a vehicle in India, a certificate of fitness is mandatory. The validity of a fitness certificate, however, is different for different classes of vehicles. For instance, in case of private vehicles, the fitness certificate is valid for a time period of 15 years, post which the vehicle will need to be re-registered and thus would require a fresh fitness certificate. In case of commercial vehicles, the fitness certificate is due for renewal after every 2 years for commercial vehicles that are less than 8 years old. For commercial vehicles older than that, the time for renewal has been stipulated as 1 year. Thus, as a vehicle owner you must have an idea regarding the validity of your vehicle’s fitness certificate.

In these digital times, you must be well aware of how to check fitness certificate of vehicle online, and avoid long queues at your zonal RTO. You can check the status of your fitness certificate, can apply for a certificate of fitness for your vehicle and can even pay the renewal fee online itself.

In the unfortunate event that your vehicle gets into an accident, the vehicle’s fitness certificate has an important role to play. When you go in to apply for an accidental claim for your vehicle, whether for own damage or third-party claims, it is important that your vehicle has a valid fitness certificate. This is so because having a document of proof that your vehicle was fit and that the accident did not occur due to your vehicle being mechanically unfit will enable the insurance providers to pay up your claim amount. Moreover, since the Motor Vehicles Act states that every vehicle must have a valid fitness certificate, driving a vehicle without the same can be in violation of the terms and conditions of your insurance policy. This can thus render your claim unpayable and can stand to get rejected. Therefore, it is wise to keep all your vehicular documents updated with correct information so that you are able to make hassle-free insurance claims at your time of need.