Cancellation of registration
Section 55 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 deals with cancellation of registration. If a motor vehicle has been destroyed or has been rendered permanently incapable of use, the owner shall, within fourteen days or as soon as may be, report the fact to the registering authority within whose jurisdiction he has the residence or place of business where the vehicle is normally kept, as The Act came into force on 01 Jul 1989.
(1) If a motor vehicle has been destroyed or has been rendered permanently incapable of use, the owner shall, within fourteen days or as soon as may be, report the fact to the registering authority within whose jurisdiction he has the residence or place of business where the vehicle is normally kept, as the case may be, and shall forward to that authority the certificate of registration of the vehicle.
(2) The registering authority shall, if it is the original registering authority, cancel the registration and the certificate of registration, or, if it is not, shall forward the report and the certificate of registration to the original registering authority and that authority shall cancel the registration.
(3) Any registering authority may order the examination of a motor vehicle within its jurisdiction by such authority as the State Government may by order appoint and, if, upon such examination and after giving the owner an opportunity to make any representation he may wish to make (by sending to the owner a notice by registered post acknowledgement due at his address entered in the certificate of registration), it is satisfied that the vehicle is in such a condition that it is incapable of being used or its use in a public place would constitute a danger to the public and that it is beyond reasonable repair, may cancel the registration.
(4) If a registering authority is satisfied that a motor vehicle has been permanently removed out of India, the registering authority shall cancel the registration.
(5) If a registering authority is satisfied that the registration of a motor vehicle has been obtained on the basis of documents which were, or by representation of facts which was, false in any material particular, or the engine number or the chassis number embossed thereon are different from such number entered in the certificate of registration, the registering authority shall after giving the owner an opportunity to make such representation as he may wish to make (by sending to the owner a notice by registered post acknowledgement due at his address entered in the certificate of registration), and for reasons to be recorded in writing cancel the registration.
1[(5A) If any registering authority or other prescribed authority has reason to believe that any motor vehicle within its jurisdiction has been used in the commission of an offence punishable under section 199A, the authority may, after giving the owner an opportunity of making a representation in writing, cancel the certificate of registration of the vehicle for a period of one year:
Provided that the owner of the motor vehicle may apply for fresh registration in accordance with the provisions of section 40 and section 41.]
(6) A registering authority cancelling the registration of a motor vehicle under section 54 or under this section shall communicate such fact in writing to the owner of the vehicle, and the owner of the vehicle shall forthwith surrender to that authority the certificate of registration of the vehicle.
(7) A registering authority making an order of cancellation under section 54 or under this section shall, if it is the original registering authority, cancel the certificate of registration and the entry relating to the vehicle in its records, and, if it is not the original registering authority, forward the certificate of registration to that authority, and that authority shall cancel the certificate of registration and the entry relating to the motor vehicle in its records.
(8) The expression "original registering authority" in this section and in sections 41, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53 and 54 means the registering authority in whose records the registration of the vehicle is recorded.
(9) In this section, "certificate of registration" includes a certificate of registration renewed under the provisions of this Act.
Section 55, 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
- s. 40 Registration, where to be made
- s. 41 Registration, how to be made
- s. 49 Change of residence or place of business
- s. 50 Transfer of ownership
- s. 51 Special provisions regarding motor vehicle subject to hire-purchase agreement, etc
- s. 52 Alteration in motor vehicle
- s. 53 Suspension of registration
- s. 54 Cancellation of registration suspended under section 53
- s. 199A Offences by juveniles
Referred to by 1
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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… The vehicles are said to be vintage vehicles, which have been under G-form for very many years, right from 2010 and some of which have already been dismantled. The petitioner seeks consideration of the applications filed under Section 55 of the Motor Vehicles Act,1988 (for brevity, 'the MV Act'). 2. The contention in W.P(C) No.26954-2014 is that, out of 5 vehicles, the registration certificate for which are produced at Ext.P1 to Ext.P1(d), three have been already dismantled, for which certificates have been produced at Ext.P2, P2(a) and P2(b). …
Made under this section, and citing it
1 instrument states that it was made under this provision — the power to make it comes from here, so a change to any of them changes what this section requires in practice. Newest first.
Another 1 instrument names this provision in its title or its text without being made under it.
Questions about Section 55
What does Section 55 of the Motor Vehicles Act deal with?
Section 55 of the Motor Vehicles Act is headed "Cancellation of registration". If a motor vehicle has been destroyed or has been rendered permanently incapable of use, the owner shall, within fourteen days or as soon as may be, report the fact to the registering authority within whose jurisdiction he has the residence or place of business where the vehicle is normally kept, as
How do I find court cases under Section 55 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 55, section 55 MV Act, section 55 of the Motor Vehicles Act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome.
What should I read with Section 55 of the Motor Vehicles Act, and has it changed?
Its own text turns on section 40 (Registration, where to be made), section 41 (Registration, how to be made), section 49 (Change of residence or place of business), section 50 (Transfer of ownership), and on 5 further provisions, so none of them can safely be read on its own. 1 other provision in this corpus refers back to it. The rules and notifications made under it are where it actually bites, and there is one: most recently SO 859(E) 25 Feb 2022 Implementation of Section 50-57 and 93 of MV(A) Act, 2019 (2022).
When did Section 55 of the Motor Vehicles Act come into force?
Section 55 of the Motor Vehicles Act, cited as MV Act 55, 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 14 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.