Last updated: October 2026
A PUC (Pollution Under Control) certificate in Kerala proves that your vehicle's exhaust emissions are within the limits set under Rule 115 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. You can get one only after a physical emission test at an authorised testing centre: there is no fully online issue or renewal. The charges most commonly listed for Kerala are Rs.60 for a two-wheeler and Rs.100 for a light motor vehicle such as a private car. Validity is 12 months for BS-IV and BS-VI vehicles and 6 months for older vehicles. Driving without a valid certificate is compounded in Kerala at Rs.2,000 for a first offence under Section 190(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, and the Act itself allows a fine of up to Rs.10,000. After the test, you can download a copy from the Parivahan PUC portal.
Every petrol, diesel, CNG or LPG vehicle more than one year past its first registration must carry a valid PUC certificate and produce it when an authorised officer asks for it: bikes, scooters, cars, autos, taxis and goods vehicles. Rule 115(7) starts the obligation one year after first registration, so a brand new vehicle needs no test in year one. Pure electric vehicles are exempt, because there is no tailpipe to measure. A certificate issued in Kerala is valid across India, and one issued in another state is valid in Kerala. The record is uploaded to the Vahan database, and a valid PUC is also asked for at other points, for example when a 15-year-old vehicle goes for registration renewal, as our guide to vehicle re-registration after 15 years in Kerala explains.
Kerala fixes PUC testing charges by government order, and authorised centres are expected to charge the notified rate for your category and display it. The figures most commonly listed for Kerala, including on PolicyBazaar's Kerala PUC page, are:
| Vehicle | Commonly listed charge in Kerala |
|---|---|
| Two-wheeler (bike or scooter) | Rs.60 |
| Light motor vehicle (private car) | Rs.100 |
| Three-wheelers, commercial and heavy vehicles | No single verified figure: check the centre's displayed rate card before the test |
One honest gap: insurer and guide sites quote wider ranges, up to Rs.200 for larger categories, and I could not open a current official Kerala fee table on parivahan.gov.in or mvd.kerala.gov.in in October 2026, because both sites were unreachable from here. So treat the table as the commonly charged starting point, not a government quote. Two checks protect you: the rate card displayed at the centre, and the fee printed on the certificate itself. Pay what the certificate records.
| Vehicle | PUC validity |
|---|---|
| New vehicle, first year from first registration | No PUC test required yet |
| BS-IV or BS-VI vehicle | 12 months |
| Older vehicle (pre-BS-IV) | 6 months |
The 12-month line needs a short history, because older Kerala pages still say six months for everyone. Rule 115(7) sets a general validity of six months, with a proviso allowing twelve months for BS-IV or BS-VI vehicles. A Kerala government order in August 2022 applied six months uniformly to all categories. In November 2023 the Kerala High Court set that order aside to the extent it overrode the rule for BS-IV and BS-VI vehicles. Whichever row applies to you, the validity date printed on your own certificate is the date that counts at a check.
| Level | Amount or penalty |
|---|---|
| Kerala compounded amount, first offence, Section 190(2) | Rs.2,000 |
| Motor Vehicles Act maximum, first offence | Fine up to Rs.10,000, or imprisonment up to 3 months, or both, plus disqualification from holding a licence for 3 months |
| Motor Vehicles Act maximum, second or later offence | Fine up to Rs.10,000, or imprisonment up to 6 months, or both |
The rows describe different things. The Act sets the ceiling a court can impose; the compounded amount is what Kerala charges to settle a first offence without a court case, as summarised in Kerala compounding schedules. Our Kerala traffic fine list puts this offence alongside the other compounded amounts. One point is often shared as a guaranteed grace period and should be treated carefully: in a February 2025 news report, MVD officials said a pollution certificate fine could be waived if a renewed certificate was uploaded within seven days of the penalty. That was an officials' statement in a news report, not a published circular I could read. If you are fined, get tested immediately and confirm the position with your RTO rather than assuming the waiver applies.
Downloading is not the same as getting tested. The online copy exists only after a centre has tested the vehicle and uploaded the result.
If the portal shows no record for a test you have already done, go back to the centre that tested the vehicle: an upload that never reached Vahan is the usual cause, and only the centre can fix it.
No certificate is issued for a failed test, and there is no temporary version. The readings point at the likely cause: high carbon monoxide or hydrocarbons on a petrol vehicle usually mean the engine needs servicing, with the air filter, spark plugs, fuel injectors and engine oil the first items to check; heavy smoke on a diesel points to fuel system or engine wear. Get the vehicle repaired, then take it for a fresh test. Driving on with an expired certificate meanwhile carries the fine risk in the table above.
Rs.60 is the charge most commonly listed for a two-wheeler in Kerala. The displayed rate at the centre and the fee printed on your certificate are the final confirmation, because no current official Kerala fee table could be verified online for this post.
No. The test is physical, so the vehicle must go to an authorised centre. Online, you can only check the record and download a copy of an existing certificate.
Twelve months for BS-IV and BS-VI vehicles, and six months for older vehicles, following Rule 115(7) and the Kerala High Court's November 2023 ruling. The date printed on your certificate governs.
Not in its first year. The obligation starts one year after first registration. After that first test, a BS-IV or BS-VI vehicle moves to the 12-month cycle.
No. A PUC test measures tailpipe emissions, and an electric vehicle has none.
No. The fine applies when you are checked or challaned without a valid certificate, not automatically on expiry. Renew at the earliest opportunity, and do not rely on the seven-day waiver in news reports, which is an officials' statement rather than a published rule I could verify.
Fees and rules change without notice. Verify all fees and rules on parivahan.gov.in before applying.
Keralam Transport