The Government of India has amended the Central Motor Vehicles Rules to strengthen compliance with user fee payments at toll plazas on National Highways, introducing stricter provisions to discourage toll evasion and improve the efficiency of electronic toll collection systems.
The Central Motor Vehicles Second Amendment Rules 2026, notified on Tuesday, introduce key changes to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989. The amendments are aimed at ensuring timely payment of National Highway user fees, strengthening digital enforcement mechanisms and supporting the transition to barrier less tolling.
A new definition of unpaid user fee has been introduced under the amended rules. It refers to the user fee payable for the use of a National Highway stretch where the Electronic Toll Collection system has recorded the passage of a vehicle but the applicable toll amount has not been received in accordance with the National Highways Act 1956.
The revised rules link clearance of unpaid user fees with critical vehicle related services. A No Objection Certificate for transfer of vehicle ownership or transfer of a vehicle from one state to another will not be issued unless all outstanding user fee dues are cleared. Similarly, renewal or issuance of a Certificate of Fitness will not be permitted for vehicles with pending toll dues. For commercial vehicles applying for a National Permit, the rules now mandate that no unpaid user fee should be outstanding.
To support these changes, Form 28, which is required for obtaining a No Objection Certificate, has been amended to include mandatory disclosure of any pending unpaid user fee demand at toll plazas, along with relevant details. The rules also promote digital governance by enabling electronic issuance of relevant portions of Form 28 through the designated online portal.
Form 28 serves as a key document for vehicle transfer, confirming that there are no pending taxes, challans or legal issues associated with the vehicle. The amended provisions are expected to improve transparency and accountability in the vehicle transfer process.
The amendments will also facilitate more effective user fee collection with the rollout of the Multi Lane Free Flow system, which will allow seamless, barrier less tolling across the National Highway network.
The changes follow the publication of draft rules on July 11, 2025, which invited suggestions from stakeholders and the general public. After examining the feedback received, the Government of India finalised and notified the amended rules.
The revised framework is expected to strengthen technology driven tolling systems and support sustained development and maintenance of the National Highway network by ensuring better compliance with user fee payments.
