Vehicle scrapping in Kerala

Last updated: October 2026

In Kerala, you scrap a vehicle only at a Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility (RVSF), by applying digitally on Vahan in Form 2. Scrapping is voluntary for a private vehicle that still passes its fitness test: there is no nationwide ban on using a vehicle simply because it is 15 years old. Government vehicles are the exception, because their registration is not renewed after 15 years and they must be scrapped at an RVSF. In return for scrapping, you receive the scrap value agreed with the facility and a Certificate of Deposit, which can earn you a motor vehicle tax concession of up to 25% on a new non-transport vehicle and a waiver of the new vehicle registration fee.

The 15-year rule in Kerala, explained clearly

The most common misunderstanding is that every vehicle must be scrapped at 15 years. That is not the rule in Kerala. MoRTH has stated that no ban has been imposed on plying 15-year-old vehicles across all states (the Delhi NCR position comes from separate court orders). For a private vehicle, fitness, certified through testing, decides, not age alone.

Vehicle type	What happens at 15 years
Private (non-transport) vehicle	Registration can be renewed for a further period after a fitness check. Keep renewing in blocks as long as the vehicle passes. See our guide to vehicle re-registration after 15 years in Kerala.
Transport (commercial) vehicle	Fitness certification has always been periodic for this class, and a vehicle found unfit becomes an end-of-life vehicle for scrapping.
Government vehicle	Registration is not renewed after 15 years from first registration, under GSR 29(E) dated 16 January 2023, and the vehicle is to be scrapped at an RVSF.
Vehicle that fails a fitness test, or whose registration is not renewed	Treated as an end-of-life vehicle and routed to scrapping at an RVSF.

Keeping an older vehicle has costs beyond the test. Green tax applies in Kerala, explained in our green tax guide, and the fitness process is covered on our fitness certificate page.

Who can scrap a vehicle, and which vehicles are accepted

Any registered owner can voluntarily offer a vehicle for scrapping. Facilities also receive vehicles without a renewed registration or valid fitness certificate, vehicles damaged by fire, accident or natural disaster, vehicles declared obsolete or beyond economic repair, manufacturing rejects, and impounded or abandoned vehicles. If a loan is still live on the record, settle the finance and clear the hypothecation first: the RTO must give a no-dues position before the facility can accept your application.

Documents to keep ready

Original certificate of registration (RC), which you hand over to the facility
PAN card copy of the owner
Cancelled cheque of the owner's bank account, for payment of the agreed amount
Identity and address proof of the owner, such as Aadhaar, passport, voter card or driving licence
Letter of authorisation on stamp paper, plus the representative's identity and address proof, if someone else submits the vehicle for you
Digital photograph of the owner or representative with the vehicle
The undertaking in Form 2 confirming the information you have given is true

How to scrap a vehicle in Kerala, step by step

Apply digitally on Vahan in Form 2. Choose an RVSF or its designated collection centre. The facility can also help you file the digital application if you cannot do it yourself.
Upload the documents. Add the owner's identity and address proof and, where applicable, the authorisation letter and the representative's proof.
Wait for the RTO no-dues step. Once Form 2 is submitted on Vahan, it goes digitally to the registering RTO for a no-dues confirmation for scrapping. The facility cannot accept the application without it.
Hand over the vehicle and the original RC. Submit the vehicle to the facility and sign the digital undertaking in Form 2A. The facility signs its own undertaking in Form 2B.
Facility verification. The RVSF checks the vehicle on Vahan, including against the National Crime Records Bureau stolen vehicle database.
Receive the agreed amount. The facility pays the agreed consideration for the vehicle digitally or by account payee cheque and takes a receipt from you.
Collect your Certificate of Deposit. The facility defaces or punches the RC in your presence and issues a digitally signed Certificate of Deposit on Vahan, in Form 2C.
Registration is cancelled. The facility forwards the defaced RC and the Certificate of Vehicle Scrapping to the RTO for cancellation. The job is finished only when that cancellation is reflected.

What could not be verified for this post: a current, official list of operational RVSFs in Kerala. parivahan.gov.in and mvd.kerala.gov.in were unreachable at research time, and Kerala announcements from 2023 named KSRTC as the implementing agency with facilities planned at Parassala, Edappal, Chittur and Kanhangad. Treat that as a 2023 plan, not a live directory, and pick your facility from the current RVSF list shown in the Vahan scrapping flow when you apply.

What you get paid, and the official incentives

There is no fixed official scrap price. The amount is the value agreed between you and the facility, paid to you directly. Anyone quoting a guaranteed government scrap amount before seeing the vehicle is not quoting an official fee, so get the figure in writing. The government incentives below sit on top, claimed when you register a new vehicle against your Certificate of Deposit.

Incentive	Official position
Motor vehicle tax concession, non-transport (private) vehicle	Up to 25% concession on the new vehicle, under GSR 720(E) dated 5 October 2021, available for up to 15 years for non-transport vehicles
Motor vehicle tax concession, transport vehicle	Up to 15% concession, available for up to 8 years for transport vehicles
Higher concession for the oldest, most polluting vehicles	Up to 50% under GSR 200(E) dated 26 March 2025, for vehicles built to BS-I or earlier norms, and for medium and heavy goods and passenger vehicles built to BS-II norms
New vehicle registration fee	Fee for issue of the certificate of registration is not levied when the new vehicle is registered on submission of a Certificate of Deposit, under GSR 714(E) dated 4 October 2021
Certificate of Deposit validity	2 years from the date of issue
Certificate of Deposit transfer	Electronically tradeable, including on the DigiELV platform, so you can transfer it if you are not buying a new vehicle yourself

The percentages above are ceilings in the central notifications. Road tax is a state subject, so the exact saving is worked out at registration; our Kerala road tax calculator guide shows how that tax is built up. A maker discount may sit on top, but it is a dealer offer, not an official fee, so ask for it in writing.

Scrap or keep? A short decision check

Keep it if it passes fitness, running costs are low, and you are not buying a new vehicle within 2 years.
Scrap it if it failed fitness, repairs cost more than its remaining use, or you are buying a new vehicle soon.
Do not use an informal dismantler if you want the incentives. Only scrapping through an RVSF on Vahan produces the Certificate of Deposit and the formal cancellation of registration. Without that cancellation, the record can remain in your name.

FAQs

Is scrapping compulsory for a 15-year-old private car in Kerala?

No. There is no blanket age ban for private vehicles in Kerala. Fitness decides. A private vehicle that passes its fitness test can be re-registered and used. Government vehicles are different: their registration is not renewed after 15 years.

How much money will I get for scrapping my vehicle?

There is no fixed official amount. The facility pays a value agreed with you for the vehicle, and the government incentives (tax concession and registration fee waiver) come later, when you register a new vehicle against the Certificate of Deposit. Get the agreed amount in writing before you hand over the vehicle.

What is a Certificate of Deposit and how long is it valid?

It is the digitally signed proof, issued on Vahan in Form 2C, that your vehicle was scrapped at an RVSF. It is valid for 2 years, is needed to claim the new vehicle incentives, and can be traded electronically.

Can an RVSF in another state scrap my Kerala-registered vehicle?

The rules provide for facilities to accept vehicles registered in other states, linked through Vahan, with papers sent to the registering RTO for cancellation. Confirm before you travel that the facility will handle a KL-registered vehicle.

What happens if I do nothing after my Form 2 application is accepted?

Do not sit on it. The rules provide that if the owner takes no action after the facility accepts the digital application, the application expires along with the no-dues clearance, and you would need to start again.

Fees and rules change without notice. Verify all fees and rules on parivahan.gov.in before applying, and treat the amounts shown in the Vahan flow and on your new vehicle registration as final.