Last updated: October 2026
A private vehicle in Kerala does not have to be scrapped at 15 years. Its first registration is valid for 15 years from the date of first registration, and after that it can be renewed for 5 years at a time, provided the vehicle is produced for inspection and passes, you file Form 25 on the Vahan portal, and you pay the renewal fee, the fitness test charges and, for a private four-wheeler, green tax of Rs.400 for 5 years. Kerala is not under the Delhi-NCR age ban. The total Vahan shows for your number before payment governs your case.
This post is about non-transport (private) vehicles: bikes, scooters and cars for personal use. Count the 15 years from the date of first registration on your RC, not from manufacture or from a second-hand purchase. Start before the validity date expires: late applications attract a monthly delay fee, listed below. After the first renewal, the process repeats every 5 years. Transport vehicles follow a different fitness cycle and are not covered here.
Lead with the official fee, as shown on the Fees and User Charges page of parivahan.gov.in, checked in October 2026. That page lists a general fee for issue or renewal of a certificate of registration, and a separate, higher slab that applies only when the vehicle is older than 20 years from first registration:
| Vehicle class | General renewal fee | Renewal fee if older than 20 years |
|---|---|---|
| Motorcycle | Rs.300 | Rs.2,000 |
| Three-wheeler, quadricycle or light motor vehicle, non-transport | Rs.600 | Rs.10,000 for a light motor vehicle; Rs.5,000 for a three-wheeler or quadricycle |
| Imported motorcycle | Rs.2,500 | Rs.20,000 for an imported two or three-wheeler |
| Imported motor vehicle | Rs.5,000 | Rs.80,000 for an imported vehicle with four or more wheels |
| Invalid carriage | Rs.50 | Rs.100 |
| Any other vehicle not listed above | Rs.3,000 | Rs.12,000 |
One honest gap: older news reports from 2021 and 2022 quoted a higher 15-year renewal fee of Rs.1,000 for a bike and Rs.5,000 for a car. When I checked the Parivahan fee page in October 2026, it did not list a separate 15 to 20 year slab; it listed the general fees above and the separate slab for vehicles older than 20 years. Do not budget from an old article alone. The fee Vahan calculates for your vehicle at payment is the one you will actually be charged, and it is exclusive of GST where the page says so.
Renewal at 15 years is not a paper-only exercise. The vehicle has to be tested, and Parivahan lists separate charges for conducting the test and for granting or renewing the certificate of fitness:
| Item | Official fee |
|---|---|
| Fitness test, motorcycle: manual / automated | Rs.200 / Rs.400 |
| Fitness test, three-wheeler or light motor vehicle: manual / automated | Rs.400 / Rs.600 |
| Fitness test, medium or heavy vehicle: manual / automated | Rs.600 / Rs.1,000 |
| Grant or renewal of certificate of fitness | Rs.200 |
| Smart card RC, if issued in Form 23A | Additional Rs.200 |
| Delay in applying for RC renewal | Rs.300 per month for motorcycles; Rs.500 per month for other non-transport vehicles |
| Delay after fitness certificate expiry | Rs.50 per day |
Our fitness certificate page summarises the inspection booking in brief.
Kerala collects green tax at this renewal. For a private vehicle with four or more wheels over 15 years, the published Kerala rate is Rs.400 for 5 years, paid once per renewal cycle. For two-wheelers and three-wheelers, published reports conflict, so go by the amount Vahan computes for your number. The full category table and payment steps are in our green tax in Kerala guide, and the green tax service page carries the same rate in brief. Any amount a helper or agent quotes above the official fees and taxes in this post is a service charge or add-on: ask for an itemised receipt.
Applicants report a practical check, not a cosmetic one. Before your slot, make sure all lights work, including the number plate light, as do the horn and wipers, and that brakes, tyres and number plates are sound and legible. Carry a current PUC. Small scratches are not usually the issue; mismatched chassis numbers, faulty lights and lapsed documents are. If the vehicle does not pass, fix what is listed and present it again, so leave time for a second visit.
Apply anyway, and apply now. The RC delay fee grows by the month, and a daily amount applies after a fitness certificate expires. Do not assume an expired registration is safe to use on the road; complete the renewal first. If the vehicle has been off the road, get it serviced, insured and PUC-tested before booking the inspection.
No. The age-based deregistration rule applies in Delhi-NCR, not in Kerala. In Kerala a private vehicle older than 15 years can be renewed every 5 years if it passes inspection and the fees and green tax are paid.
Five years. After the first 15 years, each renewal adds 5 more years, and the process, including inspection and green tax for a private four-wheeler, repeats at each renewal.
Add the items that apply to your vehicle: the renewal fee from the Parivahan table above, the fitness test charge, Rs.200 for grant or renewal of the fitness certificate, Rs.400 green tax for 5 years for a private four-wheeler, and Rs.200 extra if the RC is a smart card, plus any delay fee if you are late. Vahan shows the combined total before you pay; treat that total as final for your vehicle.
No. The application and payment are online on Vahan, but the vehicle itself has to be produced for the fitness inspection. Budget for that one visit, with originals.
Yes. A renewed RC is a normal, valid RC, and the vehicle can be transferred like any other. See the ownership transfer steps for what buyer and seller file.
Yes, in Kerala it is, if the vehicle passes inspection, but the renewal fee moves to the higher over-20 slab in the Parivahan table above, which is Rs.2,000 for a motorcycle and Rs.10,000 for a light motor vehicle. Check the slab for your class before you pay.
Fees and rules change without notice. Verify all fees and rules on parivahan.gov.in before applying.
Keralam Transport