How to Get A PUC Certificate for Your Vehicle?

Posted on: May 18, 2023 | 3 mins | Written by: HDFC ERGO Team

How to Get A PUC Certificate for Your Vehicle?

To be able to drive your car legally on public roads, you will need to always carry a few important documents around. Firstly, you must always have the registration certificate of your car, car insurance policy, and PUC. All vehicles must have a PUC or pollution under control certificate, which denotes that the vehicle complies with the emission rules and regulations.

PUC certificate is an important legal document which provides an official confirmation that your vehicle complies with the existing governmental standards in terms of emissions. This certificate also has to be valid for a certain period of time. Learn how to get a PUC certificate, how to undergo a PUC test at an authorised center, the parameters tested, the certificate you get when you pass the test, and how to renew the certificate before expiring.

What is a PUC certificate?

Pollution Under Control or PUC is a mandatory certificate which forms a part of the documents necessary to enroll for complete car insurance and avail car insurance online. It affirms that the vehicle has been certified as having emissions within the acceptable standards as set by the transport departments.

The PUC application certificate is required at the time of insurance renewal or when you are getting a new policy for your vehicle. In order to get a PUC certificate you have to take your vehicle to the authorised PUC testing center where they will check for the smoke density and CO emissions. If the emission levels are within the stipulated legal requirements, then the recipient is issued with a PUC certificate that is usually valid for 6 months in most of the states. It is required to carry the PUC as per the motor vehicle rules and without it, one can be penalised.

Understanding the PUC Process

It is required to have a PUC or Pollution Under Control certificate when owning a vehicle in India to maintain the comprehensive car insurance of the car. The PUC certificate also serves to ascertain that your car complies with the government’s emission requirements.

You can get your vehicle’s PUC test from the authorised PUC centers that are available in all the main centers. It brings the tailpipe of your vehicle into contact with a computer that tests the amount of emissions released. Once your car is approved, you can get a PUC certificate which is very much valid for the next 180 days.

If you are still above the benchmark level before the end of the PUC, you must take the test again at any PUC center. It’s possible to simply search for the PUC center located closest to your area and even make an appointment if necessary. If the PUC certificate is not renewed one may be subjected to fines or in other cases one is unable to renew the registration and or insurance of your car.

It is important to note that if you decide to purchase your car insurance online, most of the insurers will require you to provide a valid PUC certificate. Therefore, it is imperative to remember and observe the deadlines and get the emission test done long before the existing PUC expires. This would help to avoid any complications arising on issues such as insurance claims or police records.

Importance of PUC certificate

A PUC (Pollution Under Control) certificate is a vehicle inspection certificate given by the concerned centers and is meant to confirm that the pollution level of the vehicle emissions are within the standard level set by the motor vehicles department.

This system is compulsory in India for all vehicles on the road currently.

1. According to the law, it is mandatory to possess a valid PUC certificate while applying for the car insurance policy online for car insurance or while purchasing a comprehensive car insurance policy. Policyholders receive it when buying a policy and at the time of renewal of the same.

2. It makes sure that your vehicle pollutes the environment to an extent that it meets pollution legislations. Vehicles are likely to be penalised by traffic authorities in case they do not conform to the required specifications.

3. This may also mean that you would get a better resale value for your old car if you have a valid PUC certificate.

How to get a PUC certificate?

If you are curious about how to get a PUC certificate, there are two ways in which you can get one for your vehicle.

1. You can visit any local emission testing center to complete the tests and a PUC certificate.

2. Alternatively, you can visit the Vahan website to get a PUC certificate.

Steps to get a PUC offline:

Vehicle owners wondering how to get a PUC certificate offline can follow these steps.

1. Identify a local testing center that is authorised.

2. Take your vehicle to the nearest testing center.

3. An operator at the center will carry out the emission tests.

4. After gathering the readings, the operator will put a seal on the emission report.

5. You must pay the necessary fees and receive the PUC certificate.

Steps to get a PUC online:

These steps are only valid if you have an existing PUC certificate. You cannot apply for a new PUC certificate or renew one online.

1. Access the Vahan website.

2. Select the PUC certificate option.

3. Enter your vehicle’s registration number, the last 5 characters of the chassis number and the captcha on the page.

4. Click on the PUC details option.

5. You can then download or print the PUC certificate.

Checking the status of your PUC online:

By following a few simple steps, you can check the status of your PUC certificate online. It is important to keep checking it at regular intervals if you do not want to forget to renew the certificate on time. PUC certificate and car insurance are two of the most important documents needed while driving. Here are the steps that you must follow.

1. Visit the official Vahan website.

2. Select the PUC certificate option.

3. Enter your vehicle’s registration number, the last 5 digits of the chassis number and the captcha and click on PUC details.

4. You will be able to view the status of the PUC.

Renewing PUC online:

You cannot renew the PUC certificate of your vehicle online. Since these are emission tests, you must physically take your vehicle to a testing center to complete the process. You can only view and download a certificate online from the Vahan website.

FAQs

1. What would be the process in getting a PUC certificate for a vehicle?

Take your car to an approved PUC testing station for the emissions test, and get the car a PUC certificate to show it complies with the required emissions levels.

2. How to obtain car insurance online?

Car insurance can be easily purchased through the insurance company’s official website.

3. What is encompassed in a comprehensive car insurance policy?

Unlike the third party car insurance, which offers only the compensation of the damages of the other vehicle, comprehensive insurance covers your car for the losses due to theft, malicious act, flood, fire and much more.

Conclusion

If you do not want to end up paying fines to the traffic police department, it is crucial to get a PUC certificate. Using the above information, you can trace an emission testing center and complete the tests to get the certificate. Also, it is a sensible decision to opt for comprehensive car insurance for your vehicle for utmost protection.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purposes only. For more details, please refer to the policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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