The PUC Certificate is one of the important documents you must have to lawfully drive/ride a car/bike, or any vehicle for that matter, in India. In order to comply with the rules, laws and regulations of the Motor Vehicles Act, every motor vehicle in India must pass the PUC test.
The PUC Certificate is an acronym that stands for "Pollution Under Control Certificate". It is a legal requirement for all car and bike owners in India. The pollution certificate for vehicle certifies that you are legally permitted to ride/drive a vehicle in India in accordance with environmental norms. In other words, it is a document that certifies that the vehicle's emission levels are within the government's allowable limits.
The PUC Certificate is issued by authorized emission testing centres located throughout the country. An emission test certificate is issued after a thorough inspection of the vehicle's exhaust gas, and the test findings are noted in the vehicle pollution certificate.
As a validation, a PUC certificate is necessary. It certifies that you can legally use the vehicle on the road. The PUC Certificate verifies the proportion of carbon emissions or the quantity of pollution to which your vehicle may contribute.
The Motor Vehicle Act of 1988 requires the government of India to have a PUC Certificate. If your car lacks a valid certificate, you will be fined Rs 1000 (and Rs. 2000 for each successive offence.)
Furthermore, the IRDAI requires a valid PUC certificate to renew your automobile insurance coverage. Hence, a PUC certificate is a vital document that you should always carry with you when driving your vehicle.
A PUC Certificate for a car or bike has the following information:
When you purchase a new car, you will be given a PUC certificate with a one-year validity period. Following that, your vehicle will be subjected to the PUC test on a regular basis, with a renewed certificate given each time.
All cars examined for PUC should fall within the following parameters.
| Manufactured Year |
CO (Carbon Monoxide) % and Hydrocarbon in PPM |
|
PUC certificate for new bike and car manufactured before 31st March 2000. 2 and 4 strokes. |
4.5; 9000 |
|
Pollution certificate for new car and bike bought after 31st March 2000. Two strokes. |
3.5; 6000 |
|
PUC for new bikes and cars manufactured after 31st March. Four strokes. |
3.5; 4500 |
|
PUC for the new car is manufactured according to the Pre Bharat Stage 2 Norms. |
3; 1500 |
|
Pollution certificate for a car that is manufactured according to the Pre Bharat Stage 2 or Stage 3 subsequent norms. |
0.5; 750 |
PUC testing is available at any authorized gas station or independent testing facility. The certificates are also issued at the testing site.
By the end of 2017, the Supreme Court agreed with the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) recommendations aimed at combating air pollution in the country.
The Supreme Court Bench of Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Madan B Lokur declared that for insurance renewal to be effective, the PUC Certificate must be linked with the individual's automobile insurance policy. The bench stated unequivocally that automobiles that do not comply with these requirements would not be allowed to renew their insurance coverage.
The Supreme Court's decision was historic, as there had been reports of widespread noncompliance with the PUC certification program. About 23% of automobiles in Delhi underwent PUC testing, according to data.
Read below to know about how to get the PUC Certificate
The following are the steps to obtain an online pollution certificate for car.
Step 1: Go to the Parivahan website's VAHAN portal.
Step 2: Choose "PUC Certificate."
Step 3: Input the car registration number, chassis number (last five digits), and verification code.
Step 4: Choose "PUC Information."
Step 5: Print or save your pollution certificate.
Below are the steps to obtaining an offline pollution certificate for new car.
Step 1: Drive your car (two or four wheels) to the nearest emission testing station.
Step 2: The operator of the testing facility will analyze the exhaust emission by inserting the testing device into the vehicle's exhaust pipe.
Step 3: Using the emission readings, the operator will generate the PUC certificate.
Step 4: Pay the required fees and obtain the pollution certificate.