MVA Section 39: Necessity for registration
Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 · Chapter 4: REGISTRATION OF MOTOR VEHICLES
¶39. Necessity for registration.—No person shall drive any motor vehicle and no owner of a motor vehicle shall cause or permit the vehicle to be driven in any public place or in any other place unless the vehicle is registered in accordance with this Chapter and the certificate of registration of the vehicle has not been suspended or cancelled and the vehicle carries a registration mark displayed in the prescribed manner:
Provided that nothing in this section shall apply to a motor vehicle in possession of a dealer subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by the Central Government.
Study: explanations and related material
Official reference: India Code, Government of India — edition as on 15 August 2026 — source review: 2 October 2026.Recorded edition / snapshot date: 2026-08-15.Banaka reference transcription, not an official or certified edition. General central text: regional amendment blocks are not consolidated. This edition includes Jan Vishwas 2026 changes effective 15 August 2026. Amendment brackets are retained; footnotes and superscript reference numerals are excluded. Consult the complete government PDF for schedules, amendment notes and authoritative wording. State rules and notifications may differ. Hindi guides are original explanations, not a statutory translation.Read the original schedule and amendment notes
This text is for reference, not legal advice. Consult the official source for the authoritative text.
Other sections in this chapter
- 40. Registration, where to be made
- 41. Registration, how to be made
- 42. Special provision for registration of motor vehicles of diplomatic officers, etc
- 43. Temporary registration
- 44. Production of vehicle at the time of registration
- 45. Refusal of registration or renewal of the certificate of registration
- 46. Effectiveness in India of registration
- 47. Assignment of new registration mark on removal to another State
- 48. No objection certificate
- 49. Change of residence or place of business
- 50. Transfer of ownership
- 51. Special provisions regarding motor vehicle subject to hire-purchase agreement, etc
- 52. Alteration in motor vehicle
- 53. Suspension of registration
- 54. Cancellation of registration suspended under section 53
- 55. Cancellation of registration
- 56. Certificate of fitness of transport vehicles
- 57. Appeals
- 58. Special provisions in regard to transport vehicles
- 59. Power to fix the age limit of motor vehicle
- 60. Registration of vehicles belonging to the Central Government
- 61. Application of Chapter to trailers
- 62. Information regarding stolen and recovered motor vehicles to be furnished by the police to the State Transport Authority
- 62A. Prohibition of registration and issuance of certificate of fitness to oversized vehicles
- 62B. National Register of Motor Vehicles
- 63. Maintenance of State Registers of Motor Vehicles
- 64. Power of Central Government to make rules
- 65. Power of State Government to make rules