NOC for car transfer from Kerala to another state

Last updated: October 2026

The direct answer: you apply for a No Objection Certificate on Form 28 at the Kerala RTO where your car is registered, through the Vahan/Parivahan online services plus a visit with your originals. Issued NOCs are generally treated as valid for about six months, so finish the re-registration in the new state inside that window. In the new state you re-register with Form 27, pay that state's road tax, and afterwards you can claim a pro-rata refund of the unused Kerala road tax from the original Kerala RTO on Form 16. The refund is available only to the original owner. This sequence matters only for a permanent move or a sale across state lines; a short trip needs none of it.

When you actually need an NOC

You need the NOC in two situations: you are moving to another state and will stay more than 12 months (the Motor Vehicles Act makes re-registration mandatory after that point), or you are selling your car to someone in another state. If the move is temporary, or you are keeping the Kerala registration and only visiting, no NOC is required. Getting the NOC and then not using it creates its own paperwork, so only apply when the move is confirmed.

Documents to prepare before you apply

Document	Why the RTO asks for it
Original RC (smart card)	Proof of current registration and ownership
Valid insurance policy	Mandatory for every RTO transaction
Valid PUC certificate	Emission compliance
Owner ID and address proof	Identity and Kerala address verification
Chassis number pencil print (3 to 4 copies)	Attached to each copy of Form 28
Form 35 with bank stamp and bank NOC	Only if the car is under loan or hypothecation; see our hypothecation removal guide
NCRB vehicle NOC	Confirms the vehicle is not flagged as stolen; generated online through the digital police citizen services
Traffic police clearance / challan receipt	Pending challans must be cleared first; check how to check AI camera fines in Kerala

Since January 2026, Form 28 also asks you to disclose any pending toll user fee (unpaid FASTag toll) against the vehicle, and the rules now link NOC issuance to clearing those dues. If you drive on national highways, check your toll account before applying.

How to apply for the NOC in Kerala, step by step

Start on Vahan. Open vahan.parivahan.gov.in, go to Online Services, then Vehicle Related Services, and select Kerala and your RTO (KL-01 Thiruvananthapuram, KL-07 Ernakulam, and so on).
Authenticate. Enter your vehicle number and chassis number, then verify with the OTP sent to your registered mobile number or with Aadhaar.
Choose Application for NOC. Fill in the details, upload self-attested scans of the documents above, and pay the fee shown on the portal. The portal generates an auto-filled Form 28 and a fee receipt; print both.
Visit the RTO with originals. Carry the printed Form 28 in three copies with chassis pencil prints, the fee receipt, and all originals for verification. Submit the file and collect the stamped acknowledgement.
Wait for verification. The RTO verifies clearances and typically issues the NOC within two to three weeks. Track the status on Vahan with the application number on your receipt. On issue, the RTO database marks the NOC against your vehicle number.

Fees: what is official, and what I could not verify

Item	Official position
NOC application fee	A nominal state-fixed fee, shown on the payment screen before you pay. I could not verify a Kerala-specific figure from a primary source, so check the exact amount on the portal rather than trusting older blogs.
New state road tax	Assessed by the destination RTO under its own slabs, usually on the invoice value adjusted for the vehicle's age.
Re-registration and smart card fee	Fixed by the destination state; confirm at that RTO.
Chassis print, postal and affidavit costs	Nominal, paid at the RTO or the notary.

Fees and rules change without notice. Verify all fees on parivahan.gov.in before paying.

NOC validity: finish inside six months

Issued NOCs are commonly treated as valid for about six months, with some RTOs working on a shorter window. The clock starts when the NOC is issued, not when you leave Kerala, and people often let it run down while settling into a new city. If re-registration in the new state is not completed inside the window, you will need a fresh NOC or a validity extension before the new RTO will proceed. If your plans change and you do not use the NOC, get a "Not Used" certificate from the destination RTO before going back, because the NOC does not cancel itself automatically. (As of early 2026, the government was discussing whether the NOC requirement for inter-state transfers could be scrapped, but no change has been notified, so the NOC is still required.)

Re-registering the car in the new state

Submit the file at the destination RTO. Bring the NOC with the Form 28 copies, Form 27 (application for a new registration mark), the original Kerala RC, valid insurance and PUC, address proof in the new state, the car's original invoice, and your photographs. If ownership is also changing, add Forms 29 and 30 signed by both parties; our Kerala RC transfer guide covers those.
Present the car for inspection. The RTO checks the chassis number against the documents.
Pay the road tax and fee. The officer assesses the tax, you pay it, and the new RTO issues a fresh RC with the new state's number.

Claiming the road tax refund from Kerala

The refund exists, but treat it as slow paperwork, not a quick payment. The rules in practice:

Only after re-registration. The refund can be claimed only once the car carries the new state's registration number; paying tax in the new state alone is not enough.
Only the original owner. The person who originally paid the Kerala road tax, and the owner name in both states must match. A second owner who buys the car and moves it gets no refund.
Pro-rata over 15 years. The refund is calculated from the registration date on the tax actually paid, reduced pro-rata over the 15-year tax period.
File in person. There is no known online route: submit Form 16 plus a refund application letter with the new-state RC copy, old RC copy, the new road tax receipt, the original Kerala tax receipt, chassis imprint, insurance and PUC copies, and ID with the new address, at the original Kerala RTO.
Deadlines vary by state. Some states reject applications filed long after the NOC date, so file promptly and keep copies of everything. Expect several months for processing.

FAQs

How long is a Kerala Form 28 NOC valid?

Commonly about six months from the date of issue. Complete the re-registration in the new state inside that window; if it lapses, apply for a fresh NOC or an extension.

Can I drive in the new state on the KL number while waiting?

The Motor Vehicles Act requires re-registration if you stay beyond 12 months, but the NOC's own shorter validity controls the paperwork, so do not treat 12 months as a reason to delay.

My car has a loan. What extra step is needed?

You need the bank's NOC and Form 35 with the bank's stamp, submitted along with Form 28 at the Kerala RTO. If you have cleared the loan, remove the hypothecation from the RC first to keep things simple.

Can I get a refund if I only paid road tax in the new state but did not re-register?

No. Re-registration with a new registration number is a precondition for the refund.

Does the NOC cancel itself if I never use it?

No. Get a "Not Used" certificate from the destination RTO first, then have the Kerala RTO cancel the NOC.

Is the NOC still required in 2026?

Yes. The government has discussed scrapping it, but as of October 2026 no change has been notified, and RTOs still require it.

Fees and rules change without notice. Verify all fees and rules on parivahan.gov.in before paying. This guide reflects the Kerala Form 28 NOC process as documented in October 2026.