3-Year Validity for Vehicle Pollution Certificates? Govt Proposes Big PUC Rule Change; Here's Who Benefits

Published 29 July 2026 · india

3-Year Validity For Vehicle Pollution Certificates? Govt Proposes Big PUC Rule Change; Here's Who Benefits Published By, Last Updated: July 29, 2026, 10:30 IST The

3-Year Validity For Vehicle Pollution Certificates? Govt Proposes Big PUC Rule Change; Here's Who Benefits Published By, Last Updated: July 29, 2026, 10:30 IST The Centre has proposed new Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate rules that could extend validity to three years for newer BS-VI cars. The Centre has proposed extending Pollution Under Control certificate validity for newer BS-VI vehicles while increasing testing frequency for older vehicles. (AI-generated image/News18) In a draft notification, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has proposed a complete overhaul of the validity and renewal schedule for Pollution Under Control Certificates (PUCCs), offering significant relief to owners of newer BS-VI vehicles while imposing stricter compliance on older, more polluting vehicles. The biggest beneficiaries are private owners of newer BS-VI cars, who may no longer have to renew their PUC certificates every year. Under the proposed rules, private BS-VI vehicles that are up to six years old will get a three-year PUC validity, replacing the current one-year validity. This means owners of cars purchased after the rollout of BS-VI emission norms in April 2020 could make significantly fewer trips to PUC testing centres during the first six years of ownership.

Commercial vehicles running on BS-VI standards are also set to benefit. Those that are up to six years old will receive a two-year PUC validity under the draft proposal. The move is aimed at reducing compliance requirements for vehicles that already produce substantially lower emissions. WHAT CHANGES FOR OLDER BS-VI VEHICLES? The relaxation will not continue indefinitely. According to the draft notification BS-VI vehicles between 6 and 10 years old will need to renew their PUC certificates once every year. BS-VI vehicles older than 10 years will require a fresh PUC certificate every six months. The government’s approach is based on the premise that emissions can increase as vehicles age, even if they were originally built to cleaner standards. OLDER VEHICLES TO FACE STRICTER POLLUTION CHECKS While newer vehicles receive relief, the proposed rules tighten compliance for older vehicles. Owners of BS-IV vehicles will have to renew their Pollution Under Control certificates every six months, compared to the existing one-year validity. The rules become even stricter for vehicles complying with BS-I, BS-II and BS-III emission standards. These vehicles would need to undergo emission testing every three months, reflecting the government’s focus on monitoring vehicles that typically produce higher tailpipe emissions.