Factors to Consider Before Relocating your Vehicle to a New State

Relocating from one state to another is challenging for a person. It gets even more difficult if it involves moving your registered vehicle, as many formalities are involved. In this article, we look at the factors that need your consideration while looking to relocate your vehicle. Read on to know more.

Before and after you relocate the vehicle to a new state, the below mentioned things needs to be taken care of :

1. Get a NOC from the RTO

If you are planning to move your vehicle from one state to a different state, you need to get a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the regional transport office (RTO). It is necessary because you must submit that along with other documents when you apply for re-registration of the vehicle in the state you are relocating to.

In addition, you will also need to get NOCs from the local police station and the traffic department to ensure that there are no open cases registered against you and pending challans for traffic violations.

2. Re-registration of the vehicle

Once you relocate to the new state, the vehicle must be re-registered at the new RTO. You must submit the relevant documents, pay the necessary fee, and register the vehicle.

3. Inform the insurer

It is necessary to inform the insurer of the relocation because most insurers calculate the premium you pay for the vehicle based on the location you presently reside in. Moving from a tier 2 or tier 3 city to a metropolitan city might increase the payable premium.

4. Refund of Road Tax

Another thing that needs to be considered is the road tax refund, if eligible. Compared to a metropolitan city, the road tax in tier 2 or 3 towns is lower. If you are relocating from Delhi to Lucknow, you will likely be eligible for road tax refunds. To avail, you must apply at the RTO where the vehicle was registered in Delhi by submitting relevant documents.

When it comes to transporting a vehicle to a new city or state, there are a number of ways as to how it can be done. Let us take a look at them:

• Get in touch with a transport agency - If the distance between the cities or states is far, the best option when it comes to relocation of the vehicle is hiring a transport agency.  You can shortlist an agency after considering factors like route, cost, safety, and reviews.
• Hire a professional driver - Another way to relocate the vehicle is hire a professional driver and let him drive it to your new destination. This is a slightly expensive option compared to hiring a transport agency when it comes to relocation.
• Drive it yourself - If you enjoy driving for long hours, you can opt to drive the vehicle yourself to the new state. While it may be time consuming and tiresome, you will have the option to explore new places along the way. Moreover, it ensures that you have total control of the vehicle at all times.

In addition to re-registration, an individual also needs to transfer car insurance in order to complete the entire process. It can be done by following the points mentioned below:

• Policy upgrade - Relocation to a new city or state allows you to take a look at your motor insurance policy. If you are moving to a bigger city, you can consider availing a comprehensive motor insurance policy, if not already availed.
• Notify the insurer - The insurer needs to be informed about you moving places. It involves updating your personal information and updating the address in the policy so that you don’t miss out on important communication regarding the insurance policy.
• Transfer No Claim Bonus (NCB) - You can also opt to get the No Claim Bonus (NCB) transferred. It will make sure that you can enjoy the reward offered for a claimless year.

There is no denying that the process of transporting a vehicle to a new state is stressful and it has its  own share of risks. Talking about risks, the obvious one is damage to the vehicle. In such scenarios, the owner of the vehicle can approach the insurer, if the vehicle is insured. If the damages are covered,  the claim will be accepted and the insurer can take care of the expenses or reimburse it to the owner of the vehicle.

While relocating your vehicle, insurance plays an important role as the two-wheeler or four-wheeler vehicle is prone to incur damages while in transit. If you have availed a comprehensive motor insurance policy from the insurer, you can register a claim in case of any damages. If the damage is caused due to the negligence of the transporter, they are liable to compensate you.

To save money while relocating your vehicle, you can try some of the tips mentioned below:

• Do proper research - When it comes to money saving tips, doing proper research is very important. To do that, you can check ratings of the transportation company, read online reviews
• Get quotes - You can ask carrier service providers for a free quote. This will be helpful in evaluating the cost involved for relocating the vehicle to a different place.
• Consider different modes of transport - When it comes to transporting  a vehicle, there are different modes available. An individual can consider the relocation via road, rail, or sea. Exploring these options will ensure getting a clear idea of how much it will cost. You can decide on the transport mode to be used based on your budget.
• Compare the prices offered - Next thing, an individual can do is get quotes from different agencies before finalizing. Doing so will enable you to get the best price when it comes to relocating the vehicle.

In a bid to remove the hassle of re-registration, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) had last year mulled a rule to centralise the system of re-registration of vehicles. The move was proposed to ensure free movement of personal vehicles in case the vehicle owner relocates to a new state for professional reasons. As per the draft rule, it was supposed to be applicable on specific types of vehicle only for government employees, defence personnel and others shifting from one state to another to re-register their vehicles. It also proposes a new system of vehicle registration by marking all such vehicles in a new category called ‘IN’ series.