How to apply for a commercial vehicle permit — complete 2026 guide

Karnataka's STA processes around 42,000 contract carriage permit applications a year. According to the 2024-25 administrative report, the average disposal time was 47 days; about 18% of files crossed the 60-day mark — and most of those moved only after a written grievance or an RTI.

A commercial vehicle permit (also called a transport permit) is the legal licence under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 that allows a vehicle to carry passengers or goods for hire or reward. Without it, the vehicle is a “private” vehicle — using it commercially attracts seizure under §192A (penalty up to ₹10,000 + jail up to 6 months) and the insurance becomes void.

You need a permit if you are:

• Running a taxi, tourist cab, ride-hailing fleet (Ola, Uber, Rapido cars), tempo traveller, or chartered bus.
• Operating an auto-rickshaw or e-rickshaw on hire in a city/town.
• Plying a city bus on a fixed route (stage carriage).
• Using a truck, tempo, pickup, mini-LCV or refrigerated vehicle to carry goods for any other person.
• Running a school bus, staff bus, or ambulance owned by an institution carrying outsiders for fee.

The legal anchors are §66 (necessity of permit), §72 (stage carriage), §73 (contract carriage), §74 (private service), §79 (goods carriage), §88 (validation in other states) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, read with the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 (CMVR) and your State Motor Vehicles Rules (e.g., Karnataka MV Rules 1989, Maharashtra MV Rules 1989).

Picking the wrong category is the most common reason an application is rejected at first hearing — you then have to re-apply and re-pay.

• Stage Carriage Permit (§72): Bus on a notified route with fixed timings, stages and fares. Issued under Form PStSA. Usually granted to STUs (KSRTC, MSRTC etc.) or via auction/route-rationalisation; very limited for private players.
• Contract Carriage Permit (§73): Taxi / tourist cab / chartered bus / luxury coach hired as a whole, no intermediate fare collection. Form PCC. Most common for ride-hailing fleets.
• All-India Tourist Permit (§88(9), Tourist Vehicle Rules 2023): A contract carriage that can ply across states. Fee is high but avoids per-state counter-signature.
• Goods Carriage Permit (§79): Truck/tempo/LCV. Form PCG.
• Private Service Vehicle Permit (§74): Bus used by an institution (school, factory) for own staff/students only.
• Special Permit (§87): Short-duration permit for a fair, election, festival, or pilgrimage trip. 7-day to 4-month validity.

Apply only after the vehicle is registered as a transport vehicle (yellow number plate for passenger / goods). If you bought a private car (white plate) and want to convert, first apply for conversion of registration under §52 of MV Act, then get a fitness certificate from the RTO/ATS — a mandatory pre-condition for any permit.

• Conversion fee + fresh RC: ₹600-₹1,500.
• Fitness certificate: ₹600 (LMV passenger) to ₹1,500 (HMV) — see RC new application guide for the registration mechanics.

• Open https://parivahan.gov.in → “Online Services” → “Vehicle Related Services” → choose your state → “Permit”.
• Direct link in most states: https://vahan.parivahan.gov.in
• Login with your registered mobile number — OTP-based.
• If first-time, click “Sign Up” → enter Aadhaar + DL number → verify.

• Form PCC — Contract Carriage Permit application.
• Form PStSA — Stage Carriage Permit application.
• Form PCG — Goods Carriage Permit application.
• Form PCO — Counter-signature application (for plying in another state).
• Form PSp — Special Permit (short term).

Fields you'll fill: vehicle registration number, chassis/engine number, owner name + Aadhaar, route/area requested, seating/load capacity, badge number of driver(s), name of operator/firm, surety details.

• Registration Certificate (RC) — both sides, transport class.
• Fitness Certificate (Form 38).
• Comprehensive insurance (commercial — not private car policy; Act-only is not enough for permit).
• Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate.
• Operator's driving licence with transport endorsement (heavy/passenger badge).
• Driver's badge issued by RTO (separate from DL — for taxi/auto operators).
• Aadhaar + PAN of applicant (firm: GST + partnership deed / incorporation certificate).
• Affidavit on ₹100 stamp paper declaring no other permit in same category in same area (state-specific).
• Surety bond (Form PCB) — usually ₹25,000 to ₹1,00,000 depending on category and state.
• No-objection certificate from financier (if vehicle is hypothecated).
• Tax-paid receipt (one-time motor vehicle tax + road tax if applicable).

Fee structure varies by state and category — see the table below. The Vahan portal generates a GRN (Government Reference Number) receipt — keep it; you'll need it at the hearing.

• On submission, the system schedules a hearing date (usually 15-30 days out) before the Secretary STA / Senior Inspector RTA.
• Carry originals of all uploaded documents + a printed copy of the application.
• In contested categories (stage carriage routes, auto unions in some cities) there may be objections from existing operators — you have a right to be heard and rebut.
• If the hearing is positive, a permit is granted conditionally pending counter-signature / Secretary's approval.

• The printed permit (Form PStSA / PCC / PCG) reaches you by post or is downloadable from Vahan within 7-15 days of hearing.
• Permit details auto-link to your RC on Vahan — police checking via mParivahan app sees a “Permit Active” tag.
• Validity: 5 years for contract/goods carriage, 5 years for stage carriage (renewable), 3 months / 1 year / 5 years for tourist permits depending on tier, 1 day to 4 months for special permits.
• Renew at least 15 days before expiry — late renewal attracts 1/12th of permit fee per month + ₹100/day in some states.

+--------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| Contract Carriage (taxi, cab,  | Application fee: ₹500-₹1,000            |
| tourist car) — §73             | Permit fee: ₹2,000-₹3,500               |
|                                | Counter-signature (per state): ₹2,000   |
|                                | Validity: 5 years                       |
|                                | Eligibility: any individual/firm with   |
|                                | transport-class RC + fitness + commerc. |
|                                | insurance + PSV badge driver            |
+--------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| Stage Carriage (city/town bus  | Application fee: ₹1,000-₹2,000          |
| on notified route) — §72       | Permit fee: ₹3,500-₹7,500/year of valid.|
|                                | Validity: 5 years                       |
|                                | Eligibility: typically auctioned /      |
|                                | route-rationalised; private operators   |
|                                | need bus body code AIS-052 + ABS + GPS  |
+--------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| Goods Carriage (truck/tempo/   | Application fee: ₹500                   |
| LCV) — §79                     | Permit fee: ₹1,500-₹2,500               |
|                                | Validity: 5 years                       |
|                                | Eligibility: GVW ≤ 7,500 kg generally   |
|                                | exempt under §66(3) but registration as |
|                                | transport vehicle still needed          |
+--------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| All-India Tourist Permit       | Tier-based annual fee:                  |
| (§88(9), Tourist Vehicle Rules | - Up to 6 seats: ₹15,000                |
| 2023)                          | - 7-13 seats: ₹25,000                   |
|                                | - 14-23 seats: ₹40,000                  |
|                                | - 24-35 seats: ₹70,000                  |
|                                | - 36+ seats: ₹1,00,000                  |
|                                | Validity: 1 year (renewable)            |
+--------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| Special Permit (fair, election,| ₹50-₹500/day depending on category      |
| festival) — §87                | Validity: up to 4 months                |
+--------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| Permit renewal (any category)  | Renewal fee = original permit fee       |
|                                | Late surcharge: 1/12th per month delay  |
+--------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| Auto-rickshaw permit (city)    | ₹500-₹1,500 + state-specific badge fee  |
|                                | Often capped by city quota — waitlist   |
|                                | of 1-3 years in Mumbai/Delhi/Bengaluru  |
+--------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| RTI to STA / RTA on permit     | ₹10 by IPO. BPL = free.                 |
| delay                          |                                         |
+--------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+

• Wrong category chosen. Applied for Contract Carriage when route plying was actually Stage Carriage — file rejected at hearing, fee not refunded.
• Vehicle still on private (white) RC. Permit cannot be granted to a private-class vehicle. Convert RC to transport class first.
• Insurance is “Act-only” or private-car policy. Permit office insists on commercial comprehensive insurance with the right Insured Declared Value.
• PSV badge missing for the operator-driver. Even if you have a valid LMV/HMV licence, you need the PSV (Public Service Vehicle) badge endorsed at RTO.
• Fitness certificate expired or vehicle older than 8 years for passenger / 15 years for goods (some states cap permit issue at age limit).
• Surety bond is unstamped or stamped under wrong article of the State Stamp Act — common reason for office return.
• Objection from existing operators' union — particularly auto unions in Tier-1 cities. You have the right to be heard but the file moves slowly.
• Counter-signature pending when you applied for permit in one state and want to ply in another. File PCO separately in each destination state.
• City auto/taxi quota cap reached. Many cities have a frozen number of permits — your application sits in a waitlist managed by lottery or auction.
• Police verification pending — some states refer the operator's antecedents to local police; a ₹50 nudge to the beat constable can take weeks.

• Walk in with the GRN receipt and the Vahan dashboard screenshot.
• Speak to the Section Officer (Permits) — most files sit on a clerk's table waiting for a one-line note.
• Ask politely for the file movement register entry.

• https://parivahan.gov.in → “Grievance” → register with mobile + GRN.
• 15-day SLA, but compliance is mixed — useful trail for higher escalation.

• https://pgportal.gov.in → “Ministry of Road Transport and Highways” → “State Transport Department”.
• Tickets land at the State Transport Commissioner's desk; visibility is high.

• Every state has a Transport Commissioner reachable by email and post (Karnataka: transcom@nic.in, Maharashtra: transportcommr@gmail.com).
• A polite letter quoting MV Act §66 + your hearing date + Vahan reference often works in 7-10 days.

The STA / RTA / Transport Department is a public authority under §2(h) of the RTI Act 2005.

RTI helps here when:

• Your file has been “under process at STA” for more than 30 days post-hearing — RTI extracts the file movement register, the name of the officer holding it, and the noting (if any).
• Your application was rejected without a reasoned order — RTI to the Secretary STA for a certified copy of the speaking order under §86 and the inspector's note.
• A counter-signature application is pending in another state — RTI to the destination state's Transport Commissioner.
• Your hearing was conducted but no order communicated — RTI for the order copy + dispatch register entry.
• You suspect an existing operator has been illegally granted a permit on your route — RTI for a list of permits granted on the route in the last 12 months and the route-rationalisation order.

See the dedicated guide: RTI for vehicle RC / NOC / permit delay — copy-ready template.

RTI does NOT help here when:

• You applied last week — wait at least the 30-day SLA before filing. PIOs treat premature RTIs as misuse.
• You disagree with a substantive rejection on merits (e.g., fitness failed, insurance lapsed) — fix the underlying defect and re-apply, or file an appeal under §89 to the State Transport Appellate Tribunal within 30 days.
• You want the STA to grant you a route in a saturated city — that's a policy decision under §72; RTI cannot create rights.
• You want a fee refund — that's a Treasury matter, governed by Financial Code; RTI can extract the refund order but not order one.

Q. Do I need a permit if I drive my own car as Uber/Ola?
Yes — even if it's your own car. Aggregator drivers must hold a Contract Carriage permit (or All-India Tourist Permit) and the car must be transport-class with yellow plate, commercial insurance and PSV badge. Aggregator licence under the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines 2020 is on the company; the operator-driver permit is on you.

Q. My truck is below 7,500 kg — do I still need a permit?
Under §66(3) of MV Act, goods vehicles up to 7,500 kg GVW are exempt from permit requirement. You still need transport-class registration, fitness, commercial insurance, PUC. Many states have additionally exempted these from National Permit fee under the 2007 amendment.

Q. I want to ply my Karnataka taxi to Goa — separate permit?
Either get the destination state to counter-sign your KA permit (Form PCO) on payment of border tax + counter-signature fee, or get an All-India Tourist Permit (one-time annual fee, no per-state counter-signing).

Q. Permit got rejected. Can I appeal?
Yes — under §89 of MV Act to the State Transport Appellate Tribunal (STAT) within 30 days of the order. Court fee ₹100-₹500. The tribunal can confirm, modify or set aside.

Q. How long is a tourist permit valid in 2026?
Under the All-India Tourist Vehicle Rules 2023, the permit is valid for 1 year (renewable). The earlier 4-month/yearly tier system has been simplified into seat-tier-based annual fees (see fee table above).

Q. Can I transfer my permit to the buyer if I sell my taxi?
Yes — under §82 of MV Act, with permission of STA. Apply within 30 days of vehicle transfer along with Form 29 + 30 (RC transfer) and Form PTRA (permit transfer). Fee ₹100-₹500 + counter-signature charges. See Transfer vehicle ownership RC 2026.

Q. What is “counter-signature”?
A permit issued in State A is not automatically valid in State B. State B's STA “counter-signs” the permit on payment of border tax + countersign fee — confirming State B accepts the permit on its roads. Tourist Permit operators are exempt from per-state counter-signature.

Q. Auto union in my city refuses new permits — what can I do?
The cap is set by the State Government / Municipal Authority — not the union. RTI the Transport Commissioner asking for the current cap, last revision date, and number of vacant permits. If a vacancy exists and the union is blocking via political pressure, you can write to the State Human Rights Commission citing right to livelihood under Article 21.

• RTI for vehicle RC / NOC / permit delay — full template
• How to register a new vehicle (RC) — 2026 guide
• How to transfer vehicle ownership (RC) — 2026 guide
• How to apply for FASTag — 2026 guide
• RTI in 12 simple steps — for first-time filers
• All Indian government helplines — one master directory

Last reviewed: 26 April 2026 by RTI Wiki editorial team. Permit fees, counter-signature charges and category caps vary by state and change with annual MV Tax Notifications — verify on parivahan.gov.in or your State Transport Department site, or write to admin@bighelpers.in if you spot a stale figure.