PUC (Pollution Under Control) Certificate

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 vehicles 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.

It is important to have a pollution under control certificate for the following reasons:

• A PUC certificate 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 issue a PUC Certificate for every vehicle. 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 carry with you at all times when driving your vehicle.

A PUC Certificate for a car or bike has the following information:

• Serial Number of the PUC Certificate
• Vehicle registration number
• Date of PUC Test
• Validity
• Reading of PUC Test

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.

• The renewed certificate is valid for six months. If an unfavourable reading is obtained during the PUC exam, the certificate's validity will be determined based on that reading.
• The PUC test is really inexpensive. It ranges from Rs. 60 to Rs. 100, depending on the vehicle being tested and the type of fuel used.
• If cars emit greater amounts of pollution than the specified limits, the testing centre will notify the RTO, Deputy RTO, or Assistant RTO within one day of the violation.

All cars examined for PUC should fall within the following parameters.

PUC testing is available at any authorised gas station or independent testing facility. The certificates are also issued at the testing site.

One can get the PUC certificate online through the Parivahan portal or even offline through the nearest emission testing station. Given below are the detailed processes for PUC certificate download:

a) Steps to Get a Pollution Certificate Online

The following are the steps to obtain an online pollution certificate for new 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.

b) Steps to Get a Pollution Certificate Offline

Below are the steps for 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 analyse 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.