MoRTH India Alters Motor Vehicle Rules To Allow Addition Of Nominee In Vehicle Registration: Report

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) of the Government of India has reportedly notified some changes in the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 that will allow vehicle owners to add a nominee in the vehicle registration certificate. This move will help the nominee to get the vehicle ownership transferred to their name in the event of the death of the original owner. Right now, in case of the death of a registered owner of a vehicle, the procedure to transfer the vehicle to a nominee requires complying with several formalities and frequent visits to different government offices.

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With the new changes, the owner can now name the nominee at the time of registering a new vehicle. Vehicle owners, both new and existing ones, can also add a nominee to the registration via an online application. According to the notified rules, the vehicle owner must submit proof of identity for the nominee to add their name to the registration certificate.

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This move will help the nominee to get the vehicle ownership transferred to their name in the event of the death of the original owner

The notification issued by the ministry also said, "Where the owner of a motor vehicle dies, the person nominated by the vehicle owner in the certificate of registration or the person succeeding to the possession of the vehicle, as the case may be, may for three months from the death of the owner of the motor vehicle, use the vehicle as if it has been transferred to him, Provided that such person has, within thirty days of the death of the owner, informed the registering authority of the occurrence of the death of the owner and of his own intention to use the vehicle."

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The nominee or person succeeding to the possession of the vehicle will have to fill in Form 31 and apply for transfer of ownership within three months from the death of the vehicle owner, to the registering authority. The notification also said that if the owner wished to change the nominee, in case of contingencies like divorce or division of property, the owner may change the nomination with an agreed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).