Delhi govt removes one-year cap on NOC applications for ELVs

The move, which keeps in abeyance a clause from the Guidelines for Handling End of Life Vehicles in Public Places of Delhi, 2024, will now allow owners to seek NOCs for re-registration in other states, regardless of when their registration expired.

In a major policy shift aimed at addressing citizen inconvenience and increasing pollution in Delhi, the transport department on Thursday lifted the one-year restriction on applying for no-objection certificates (NOCs) for end-of-life vehicles (ELVs).

Currently, vehicle owners had to apply for an NOC within one year of registration expiry. (HT PHOTO)

The decision, announced by transport minister Pankaj Kumar Singh, is expected to bring relief to millions of vehicle owners whose diesel vehicles (over 10 years old) and petrol vehicles (over 15 years old) had been stuck in limbo following deregistration.

The move, which keeps in abeyance a clause from the Guidelines for Handling End of Life Vehicles in Public Places of Delhi, 2024, will now allow owners to seek NOCs for re-registration in other states, regardless of when their registration expired.

Currently, vehicle owners had to apply for an NOC within one year of registration expiry. This led to many vehicles being stranded in Delhi without an option to either scrap or legally transfer them, officials said.

“By removing the one-year limit, we’re helping citizens move their old vehicles out of Delhi responsibly, easing congestion and improving air quality,” Singh said.

Officials said the move came after a series of public representations and internal reviews revealed the impracticality of the one-year limit. Many residents who missed the NOC window were unable to re-register their vehicles elsewhere. As a result, these vehicles remained parked in colonies, public spaces and parking lots, adding to visual clutter and potential environmental hazards.

“The one-year cap had created an unintended bottleneck. Citizens who wanted to move their vehicles out of Delhi were unable to do so legally. With this relaxation, we expect a large number of such vehicles to find proper relocation or re-registration outside NCR, which will help clean up the city’s vehicular footprint,” Singh added.

The transport department said the order builds upon earlier circulars issued in 2021 and 2022 in compliance with National Green Tribunal (NGT) guidelines. The decision is expected to reduce vehicular congestion and free up parking spaces, said officials.

The notification is likely to take effect immediately, with officials estimating that millions of vehicle owners stand to benefit. Around six million ELVs have been deregistered till last year by the transport department, of which about six lakh are already scrapped, as per department estimates.