How to check if your vehicle is BS-VI compliant? A step-by-step guide

The Bharat Stage (BS) is an emission standard developed in India, modelled on European standards, to regulate the amount of air pollutants emitted by vehicles.

With new vehicle-entry restrictions set to take effect in Delhi from November 1, 2026, vehicle owners need to check whether their vehicles meet the prescribed emission standards before travelling to the national capital.

Based in this metric, the BS is split into five categories: BS-I (before 2005); BS-II (2005-2010); BS-III (2010-2017); BS-IV (2017-2020) and BS-VI (April 2020 onwards). (Sanchit Khanna/ HT Photo/ Representational)

The seasonal restriction, which will remain in force until January 31, 2027, applies to non-Delhi-registered petrol and diesel vehicles that do not meet BS-VI emission standards. CNG and electric vehicles are exempt from this specific restriction.

Step 1: Check your vehicle's registration details

The first step is to establish where your vehicle is registered.

• Delhi-registered vehicles: These are not covered by the specific November 1 restriction on non-Delhi-registered vehicles. However, other applicable vehicle-age rules, court directions and GRAP restrictions may still apply.
• Vehicles registered outside Delhi: These must meet the applicable emission requirements to enter the capital.

Step 2: Identify your vehicle's fuel type

The restriction applies differently depending on the vehicle's fuel type.

• Petrol vehicles: Non-Delhi-registered petrol vehicles must be BS-VI compliant to meet the November 1 entry requirement.
• Diesel vehicles: Non-Delhi-registered diesel vehicles must also meet BS-VI standards.
• CNG vehicles: Reportedly exempt from this specific seasonal restriction.
• Electric vehicles: Reportedly exempt from this specific seasonal restriction.
• Other alternative fuels: Do not assume an exemption. Check the applicable government notification.

Step 3: Find your vehicle's BS emission standard

1. Check your Registration Certificate (RC). Look for fields such as ‘Fuel Norms’, ‘Emission Norms’ or ‘Norms Type’. The exact field name may vary across registration systems.

2. Check Form 22. Form 22 is the initial certificate of compliance issued by the vehicle manufacturer. It specifies the emission norms applicable to the vehicle. Do not confuse it with Form 21, which is the vehicle's sale certificate.

3. Check the Parivahan portal. If you do not have a physical copy of your RC, you can check your vehicle details through the government's Parivahan portal or the relevant state transport department's records.

4. Contact the manufacturer or an authorised dealer. If the emission classification is not available in your documents, share your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or chassis number with the manufacturer or an authorised dealer to obtain the vehicle's specifications.

Step 4: Use your VIN or chassis number if documents are unavailable

The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) can help identify your vehicle and retrieve its manufacturing details.

A standard VIN generally has 17 characters and can be found:

• On the dashboard, near the windscreen.
• On the manufacturer's label.
• In the engine compartment.

However, the VIN does not universally encode the Bharat Stage classification. Its characters and year codes vary across manufacturers. Therefore, do not rely on the manufacturing year or VIN alone to establish BS-VI compliance.

Step 5: Check whether your vehicle meets the November 1 entry rules

Once you have established your vehicle's registration location, fuel type and emission standard, use the following guide.

The commercial goods vehicle rules are separate from those applicable to private cars. Owners should also check the vehicle class mentioned in the RC or relevant permit.

For commercial goods vehicles

Separate requirements apply to non-Delhi-registered light goods vehicles (LGVs), medium goods vehicles (MGVs) and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).

The commercial goods vehicle rules are separate from those applicable to private cars. Owners should also check the vehicle class mentioned in the RC or relevant permit.

For buses

A separate cleaner-vehicle requirement applies to buses entering Delhi.

Intercity and interstate buses may also be subject to existing CAQM directions and GRAP restrictions.

Step 6: Check your Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate separately

A valid PUC certificate does not automatically make a vehicle eligible to enter Delhi under the November 1 BS-VI restriction.

For instance, a non-Delhi-registered BS-IV petrol or diesel vehicle will remain restricted under this specific rule even if it has a valid PUC certificate. Similarly, a BS-VI-compliant vehicle must continue to meet applicable PUC requirements.

The two checks serve different purposes:

• BS emission standard: Establishes the original emission classification of the vehicle.
• PUC certificate: Records whether the vehicle meets applicable in-use emission limits at the time of testing.

Step 7: Check for other applicable restrictions

Meeting the BS-VI requirement does not automatically mean that a vehicle is permitted under every pollution-control measure.

GRAP restrictions are separate from the November 1 seasonal entry rule. Depending on the pollution-control stage in force, additional restrictions may apply to older petrol and diesel vehicles, goods vehicles and buses.

For instance, GRAP Stage 3 restrictions cover BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel or older light motor vehicles in

Delhi and specified NCR districts, subject to the operative order.

Owners should therefore check the latest GRAP restrictions and applicable government notifications before travelling.

Important: The November 1 restriction is scheduled to remain in force until January 31, 2027. The applicable rules may differ depending on vehicle category, registration location, fuel type and subsequent government directions. Meeting the specific BS-VI entry requirement does not guarantee exemption from other traffic or pollution-control restrictions.