What is the full form of RTO:If you are planning to buy a new vehicle or drive on the roads, you need to know what RTO stands for and why it is important. RTO is an acronym for Regional Transport Office, which is a government agency responsible for issuing driving licenses, registering vehicles, collecting road taxes, enforcing traffic rules and regulations, and ensuring road safety in India. In this article, we will explain the full form of RTO, its functions, and structure, and how to contact your nearest RTO office.
RTO Full Form and Meaning
RTO stands for Regional Transport Office, which is also known as Regional Transport Authority (RTA) or Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) in some states. RTO is a part of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, which is headed by the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways. The ministry has a central office in New Delhi and regional offices in every state and union territory of India.
The main functions of RTO are:
- Issuing driving licenses for different types of vehicles such as two-wheelers, four-wheelers, commercial vehicles, etc.
- Registering new vehicles and renewing old ones with a unique registration number and a registration certificate.
- Collecting road taxes and fees from vehicle owners and drivers according to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.
- Enforcing traffic rules and regulations and imposing penalties for violations such as over-speeding, drunken driving, rash driving, etc.
- Conducting periodic fitness tests for vehicles to check their emission levels, safety features, and roadworthiness.
- Issuing permits for transport vehicles such as buses, trucks, taxis, auto-rickshaws, etc. to operate on specific routes and areas.
- Issuing certificates for pollution under control (PUC), no objection certificate (NOC), insurance, etc. for vehicles.
- Conducting awareness campaigns and educational programs for road safety and traffic management.
RTO Structure and Contact Details
RTO is divided into various zones, circles, divisions, and sub-divisions depending on the size and population of the state or union territory. Each zone or circle has a zonal or regional transport officer (ZTO or RTO) who is in charge of the overall administration and supervision of the RTO activities in that area. Each division has a deputy or assistant regional transport officer (DTO or ARTO) who reports to the ZTO or RTO. Each sub-division has a motor vehicle inspector (MVI) who is responsible for conducting inspections, tests, and enforcement activities.
To contact your nearest RTO office, you can visit the official website of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (https://parivahan.gov.in/parivahan/) and click on the ‘Know your RTO’ option. You can also use the ‘Vahan’ portal (https://vahan.parivahan.gov.in/vahanservice/vahan/ui/statevalidation/homepage.xhtml) or the ‘Sarathi’ portal (https://sarathi.parivahan.gov.in/sarathiservice/stateSelection.do) to access various online services related to driving licenses and vehicle registration.
Alternatively, you can use the following table to find the contact details of some of the major RTO offices in India:
| State/UT | RTO Code | Address | Phone Number | Email ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | AP | Transport Commissioner’s Office RTC Cross Road Narayanaguda Hyderabad – 500029 | 040-23494777 | tc@aptransport.org |
| Arunachal Pradesh | AR | Directorate of Transport Naharlagun Itanagar – 791110 | 0360-2244379 | dtoitanagar@gmail.com |
| Assam | AS | Commissionerate of Transport Paribahan Bhawan Jawaharnagar Khanapara Guwahati – 781022 | 0361-2332206 | commtransport@gmail.com |
| Bihar | BR | Transport Department Old Secretariat Patna – 800015 | 0612-2215795 | transportdept-bih@nic.in |
| Chhattisgarh | CG | Transport Commissioner’s Office Block-2 Third Floor Indravati Bhawan Naya Raipur – 492002 | 0771-2512000 | tc.cg@nic.in |
| Delhi | DL | Transport Department 5/9 Under Hill Road Delhi – 110054 | 011-23921924 | transportdept@nic.in |
| Goa | GA | Directorate of Transport Junta House Panaji – 403001 | 0832-2225724 | dir-tran.goa@nic.in |
| Gujarat | GJ | Commissioner of Transport Block-6 Second Floor Dr Jivraj Mehta Bhavan Gandhinagar – 382010 | 079-23251367 | cotguj@nic.in |
| Haryana | HR | Transport Commissioner’s Office 30 Bays Building Sector-17 Chandigarh – 160017 | 0172-2700222 | tc@hry.nic.in |
| Himachal Pradesh | HP | Directorate of Transport Parivahan Bhawan Shimla – 171004 | 0177-2658379 | dirtrans-hp@nic.in |
| Jammu and Kashmir | JK | Transport Commissioner’s Office Rail Head Complex Jammu – 180012 | 0191-2479829 | transport@jk.gov.in |
| Jharkhand | JH | Transport Commissioner’s Office Nepal House Doranda Ranchi – 834002 | 0651-2490053 | transport-jhr@nic.in |
| Karnataka | KA | Transport Commissioner’s Office 5th Floor M.S. Building Dr B.R. Ambedkar Veedhi Bangalore – 560001 | 080-22210994 | transcom@nic.in |
| Kerala | KL | Transport Commissioner’s Office Trans Towers Vazhuthacaud Thiruvananthapuram – 695014 | 0471-2333317 | tc@keralamvd.gov.in |
| Madhya Pradesh | MP | Transport Commissioner’s Office Madhya Pradesh Transport Bhawan Block-4 First Floor Bhadbhada Road Bhopal – 462003 | 0755-2769200 | mptc@mptransport.org |
| Maharashtra | MH | Transport Commissioner’s Office Administrative Building Government Polytechnic Campus Near RTO Office Bandra East Mumbai – 400051 | 022-26550932 | transcom@mahatranscom.in |
| Manipur | MN | Directorate of Transport Babupara Imphal West – 795001 | 0385-2450288 | transportmanipur@gmail.com |
| Meghalaya | ML | Directorate of Transport Police Bazar Shillong – 793001 | 0364-2225210 | transport-megh@nic.in |
| Mizoram | MZ | Directorate of Transport Chaltlang Aizawl – 796012 | 0389-2344720 | dtmz123@gmail.com |
| Nagaland | NL | Directorate of Transport Kohima – 797001 |