Vehicle document · FC
Fitness certificate
The fitness certificate says the truck passed a physical roadworthiness test: brakes, steering, lights, tyres, emissions, reflective tape, speed governor and body condition.
- Issued by
- RTO or ATS
- Validity
- 2 years, yearly after 8
- Lapse penalty under
- Section 192
- Keep it
- In the cabin and the file
What it is
What the fitness certificate proves
The fitness certificate says the truck passed a physical roadworthiness test: brakes, steering, lights, tyres, emissions, reflective tape, speed governor and body condition. Every transport vehicle must hold one. It is the shortest-lived vehicle document for an older truck, since a goods vehicle more than eight years old must pass the test every year. MoRTH is moving fitness testing from RTO lanes to registered automated testing stations in phases, and the deadlines for that move have been extended before, so check what your state requires today.
At a glance
- Issued by
- The RTO's motor vehicle inspector, or a registered automated testing station where the state has moved testing to one
- Validity
- Two years for a new transport vehicle, renewed every two years up to eight years of age, and every year after that (CMVR rule 62)
- Law
- Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, Section 56; Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, rule 62
- Where to keep it
- In the cabin and the file
How to renew
6 steps, in order
PRACHSO does not issue or renew any government document. These are the steps on the official service, or the ones your appointed agent follows.
- 1
Check the vehicle's age from the registration date. Under eight years, the next test is due two years after the last one; over eight years, it is due every year.
- 2
Clear pending road tax and keep insurance and PUC current before you apply. The RTO will usually not take up the test while dues are pending.
- 3
Apply for fitness renewal on the Parivahan VAHAN citizen services, pay the fee online and book a test slot at the RTO or the automated testing station your state has notified.
- 4
Get the truck ready for the test: brakes adjusted, all lights working, reflective tape intact, speed governor working where fitted, tyres within limits and no visible smoke.
- 5
Take the truck to the testing station on the booked date with the RC, insurance, PUC and the speed governor certificate.
- 6
Once the vehicle passes, check that the new fitness validity shows on VAHAN, and keep the certificate in the cabin.
Penalty for a lapse
A transport vehicle without a valid fitness certificate is not treated as validly registered, so driving it is punishable under Section 192 of the Motor Vehicles Act: up to ₹5,000 for a first offence and up to ₹10,000 for a subsequent one. States can set different compounding amounts. An insurer can also dispute an accident claim made on a day the vehicle had no valid fitness.
Challan guide: Driving without valid registration or fitness
Common mistakes
Where fleets slip
- Counting two years from the date the truck was bought instead of checking whether it has crossed eight years of age, after which the test is annual.
- Booking the test in the last week, then losing the slot because the testing station is booked out or a tax arrear blocks the application.
- Sending the truck for its test with a broken tail lamp or peeling reflective tape. Both are easy to fix and common reasons to fail.
- Assuming the state still tests at the RTO lane when it has notified an automated testing station for your vehicle class.
How PRACHSO tracks it
The reminder goes to whoever has to act
PRACHSO reads the fitness validity from VAHAN and works out the next due date from the vehicle's age, so the switch from a two-year to a one-year cycle is never missed. Reminders go at 30, 15, 7 and 1 days. The driver gets the testing-station date on WhatsApp in his language, the munshi gets the filing task, and the new certificate is attached to the renewal when it is done.
PRACHSO Reminders
to Salim (driver) · English
Fitness certificate: 15 days left
Truck PB 10 OI 4127 · Ludhiana branch
Please get this done on your route this week and send a photo of the new paper.
9:02 am
Questions about the fitness certificate
Answers from the Motor Vehicles Act, the Central Motor Vehicles Rules and the official renewal services. Last checked 12 Nov 2026.
How often does a truck need a fitness test?
Under CMVR rule 62, a new transport vehicle's certificate is valid for two years and is renewed every two years until the vehicle is eight years old. After that, it is renewed every year.
What usually fails a fitness test?
Brakes out of adjustment, lights or indicators not working, worn tyres, missing or faded reflective tape, a speed governor that is not working where one is required, and visible smoke or a failed emission reading.
Can I get the fitness test done in another state?
Rules on where a vehicle can be tested depend on the registering state and on which automated testing stations are notified. Check with your registering RTO before you plan a test outside the home state.
Track every fitness certificate on one calendar.
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