Registration, where to be made
Section 40 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 deals with registration, where to be made. Subject to the provisions of section 42, section 43 and section 60, every owner of a motor vehicle shall cause the vehicle to be registered by [any registering authority in the State] in whose jurisdiction he has the residence or place of business where the vehicle is normally kept. The Act came into force on 01 Jul 1989.
Subject to the provisions of section 42, section 43 and section 60, every owner of a motor vehicle shall cause the vehicle to be registered by 1[any registering authority in the State] in whose jurisdiction he has the residence or place of business where the vehicle is normally kept.
Section 40, The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (Act 59 of 1988).
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
This section refers to
Related judgements & precedents
These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.
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The State of Madhya Pradesh Transport Department Secretary vs Rakesh Sethi
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
The State Government has the constitutional and statutory authority to prescribe fees for the reservation and allotment of specific registration marks to motor vehicles under Rule 55A of the Madhya Pradesh Motor Vehicles Rules, 1994. This authority derives from: (1) Section 41(6) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, which creates a two-step process of Central allotment of series and State assignment of specific numbers; (2) Section 65(1) of the Act, which grants the State general power to make rules for carrying into effect the provisions of the registration chapter; (3) Section 211 of the Act, which is a residual provision granting power to the State to levy fees for services rendered, notwithstanding the absence of express provision, provided the State is empowered to make rules on that subject; and (4) the principle that when a central enactment clothes the state with the power to perform a function, an implicit power to charge a reasonable fee for that function must be read into the state's power. The assignment of specific registration numbers is a distinct service for which the State can legitimately charge a fee, as it involves administrative work and caters to public demand for auspicious and numerologically significant numbers. The power to prescribe fees for registration under Section 41(2) relates only to the general registration process, not to the assignment of specific numbers. Rule 55A is therefore valid and within the State's authority.
On this section: Prescribes that every owner of a motor vehicle shall cause the vehicle to be registered by a registering authority in whose jurisdiction the owner resides or has a place of business
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Commissioner of Com. Taxes, Tvm vs Ktc Automobiles
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
In the case of motor vehicles, although registration is technically a post-sale event, in practical terms the sale is co-terminus with registration because the dealer cannot lawfully deliver possession to the purchaser until the vehicle reaches the registering authority's office for inspection and registration. Motor vehicles remain unascertained goods until appropriation occurs at the registration office. Therefore, the situs of sale of a motor vehicle is at the location of the registration authority where the vehicle is registered, not at the location of the dealer's office. Property in the motor vehicle passes to the buyer when possession is handed over at or near the registration office in a deliverable and registrable state. For purposes of sales tax, the sale is deemed to occur at the place of registration.
On this section: Provides for statutory appeal on questions of law and fact
The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.
Judgments citing this section
These may be obiter dicta or a precedent, for you to study. These are the judgments where this section is quoted.
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… Having heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Government Pleader and having regard to the provisions of Section 40 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, as also the directions issued by this Court in Sabeer A (Supra), this writ petition is allowed and it is directed that the petitioner shall be permitted to register his vehicle with the Regional Transport Office, Thiruvananthapuram, in accordance with law, notwithstanding the fact …
Made under this section, and citing it
3 instruments name this provision in its title or its text without being made under it.
Questions about Section 40
What have the courts held on Section 40 of the Motor Vehicles Act?
The State of Madhya Pradesh Transport Department Secretary vs Rakesh Sethi (26 Aug 2020) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Prescribes that every owner of a motor vehicle shall cause the vehicle to be registered by a registering authority in whose jurisdiction the owner resides or has a place of business. Another 1 judgment on this section is set out below, all of them from the Supreme Court. They run from 2016 to 2020.
How do I find court cases under Section 40 of the Motor Vehicles Act?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: MV Act 40, section 40 MV Act, section 40 of the Motor Vehicles Act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 2 reported judgments on this section are set out on this page, beginning with The State of Madhya Pradesh Transport Department Secretary vs Rakesh Sethi (26 Aug 2020).
What should I read with Section 40 of the Motor Vehicles Act, and has it changed?
Its own text turns on section 42 (Special provision for registration of motor vehicles of diplomatic officers, etc), section 43 (Temporary registration), section 60 (Registration of vehicles belonging to the Central Government), so none of them can safely be read on its own. 4 other provisions in this corpus refer back to it. 3 instruments name it without being made under it, most recently SO 1231(E) dated 11.03.2021 implementation of section 39 and 40 (2021), then Amendments to the Tamil Nadu Motor Transport Workers Rules, 1961 (2020).
When did Section 40 of the Motor Vehicles Act come into force?
Section 40 of the Motor Vehicles Act, cited as MV Act 40, came into force on 01 Jul 1989, having been enacted on 14 Oct 1988. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
- 2. Definitions1948 words
- 88. Validation of permits for use outside region in which granted1560 words
- 51. Special provisions regarding motor vehicle subject to hire-purchase agreement, etc1199 words
- 150. Duty of insurers to satisfy judgments and awards against persons insured in respect of third party risks1102 words
- 96. Power of State Government to make rules for the purposes of this Chapter995 words
- 72. Grant of stage carriage permits868 words
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 15 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.