1. An application by or on behalf of the owner of a motor vehicle for registration shall be in such form and shall be accompanied by such documents, particulars and information and shall be made within such period as may be prescribed by the Central Government:
   Provided that where a motor vehicle is jointly owned by more persons than one, the application shall be made by one of them on behalf of all the owners and such applicant shall be deemed to be the owner of the motor vehicle for the purposes of this Act.
2. An application referred to in sub-section (1) shall be accompanied by such fee as may be prescribed by the Central Government.
3. The registering authority shall issue to the owner of a motor vehicle registered by it a certificate of registration in such form and containing such particulars and information and in such manner as may be prescribed by the Central Government.
4. In addition to the other particulars required to be included in the certificate of registration, it shall also specify the type of the motor vehicle, being a type as the Central Government may, having regard to the design construction and use of the motor vehicle, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify.
5. The registering authority shall enter the particulars of the certificate referred to in sub-section (3) in a register to be maintained in such form and manner as may be prescribed by the Central Government.
6. The registering authority shall assign to the vehicle, for display thereon, a distinguishing mark (in this Act referred to as the registration mark) consisting of one of the groups of such of those letters and followed by such letters and figures as are allotted to the State by the Central Government from time to time by notification in the Official Gazette, and displayed and shown on the motor vehicle in such form and in such manner as may be prescribed by the Central Government.
7. A certificate of registration issued under sub-section (3), whether before or after the commencement of this Act, in respect of a motor vehicle, other than a transport vehicle, shall, subject to the provisions contained in this Act, be valid only for a period of fifteen years from the date of issue of such certificate and shall be renewable.
8. An application by or on behalf of the owner of a motor vehicle, other than a transport vehicle, for the renewal of a certificate of registration shall be made within such period and in such form, containing such particulars and information as may be prescribed by the Central Government.
9. An application referred to in sub-section (8) shall be accompanied by such fee as may be prescribed by the Central Government.
10. Subject to the provisions of section 56, the registering authority may, on receipt of an application under sub-section (8), renew the certificate of registration for a period of five years and intimate the fact to the original registering authority, if it is not the original registering authority.
11. If the owner fails to make an application under sub-section (1), or, as the case may be, under sub-section (8) within the period prescribed, the registering authority may, having regard to the circumstances of the case, require the owner to pay, in lieu of any action that may be taken against him under section 177, such amount not exceeding one hundred rupees as may be prescribed under sub-section (13):
    Provided that action under section 177 shall be taken against the owner where the owner fails to pay the said amount.
12. Where the owner has paid the amount under sub-section (11), no action shall be taken against him under section 177.
13. For the purposes of sub-section (11), the State Government may prescribe different amounts having regard to the period of delay on the part of the owner in making an application under sub-section (1) or sub-section (8).
14. An application for the issue of a duplicate certificate of registration shall be made to the last registering authority in such form, containing such particulars and information along with such fee as may be prescribed by the Central Government.

Comments
In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (4) of section 41 of the Act the Central Government has specified the type of motor vehicles as mentioned in columns 1 and 2 of the Table below—

Transport Vehicle	Non-Transport Vehicle
(i) Motor cycle with side car for carrying goods	(i) Motor cycle with or without side car for personal use
(ii) Motor cycle with trailer to carry goods	(ii) Mopeds and motorized cycle (Engine capacity exceeding 25 cc)
(iii) Motor cycle used for hire to carry one passenger on pillion and motorized cycle rickshaw for goods or passengers on hire	(iii) Invalid carriage
(iv) Luxury Cab	(iv) Three wheeled vehicles for personal use
(v) Three wheeled vehicles for transport of passenger/goods	(v) Motor car
(vi) Goods carrier trucks or tankers or mail carrier (N3 – N3 Category)	(vi) Fork lift
(vii) Power tiller and Tractors using public roads	(vii) Vehicles or trailers fitted with equipments like rig, generators, compressor
(viii) Mobile Clinic or X-Ray van or library vans	(viii) Crane mounted vehicle
(ix) Mobile workshops	(ix) Agriculture Tractor and Power Tiller

(x) Mobile canteens	(x) Private service vehicle, registered in the name of an individual and if declared to be used by him solely for personal use
(xi) Private Service Vehicle	(xi) Camper van or trailer for private use
(xii) Public Service Vehicle such as maxi, cab, motor cab, stage carriages and contract carriage including tourist vehicles	(xii) Tow trucks, Breakdown Van and Recovery Vehicles
(xiii) Educational Institution buses	(xiii) Tower Wagons and tree trimming vehicles owned by Central, State and local authorities
(xiv) Ambulances	(xiv) Construction Equipment Vehicles as defined in rule 2(ca)
(xv) Animal ambulances
(xvi) Camper vans or trailers
(xvii) Cash vans
(xviii) Fire tenders, snorked ladders, auxiliary trailers and fire fighting vehicles
(xix) Articulated Vehicles

(xx) Hearses
(xxi) Omnibus

In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (6) of section 41 of the Act the Central Government has allotted to the States and Union Territories the groups of letters for the use as registration mark as given in the table below—

State/Union Territories	Group of letters
1. Andaman and Nicobar	AN
2. Andhra Pradesh	AP
3. Arunachal Pradesh	AR
4. Assam	AS
5. Bihar	BR
6. Chandigarh	CH
6A. Chattisgarh	CG
7. Dadra and Nagar Haveli	DN
8. Daman and Diu	DD

9. Delhi	DL
10. Goa	GA
11. Gujrat	GJ
12. Haryana	HR
13. Himachal Pradesh	HP
14. Jammu and Kashmir	JK
14A. Jharkhand	JH
15. Karnataka	KA
16. Kerala	KL
17. Lakshadweep	LD

18. Madhya Pradesh	MP
19. Maharashtra	MH
20. Manipur	MN
21. Meghalaya	M
22. Misoram	MZ
23. Nagaland	NL
24. Orissa	OR
25. Pondicheri	PY
26. Punjab	PB
27. Rajasthan	RJ

28. Sikkim	SK
29. Tamil Nadu	TN
30. Tripura	TR
31. Uttar Pradesh	UP
31A. Uttaranchal	UA
32. West Bengal	WB