If you own an older car, here’s some important news for you. The Delhi government has now relaxed the process of issuing a No Objection Certificate to petrol and diesel vehicles. While vehicle owners earlier had only a one-year window after the expiry of registration, now that the curb has been lifted.
This recent update, as announced on October 31, 2025, allows owners to apply for this certificate anytime, hence making the process rather easy. While this brings relief for vehicle owners, there are other decisions that have been taken to control Delhi’s air pollution, and in this article, we are going to know the policies that have changed for vehicles entering Delhi NCR.
New Entry Rules from 1st November 2025:
While it has become easier for old vehicle owners to get an NOC, the Delhi pollution rules 2025 have plans to increase restrictions on the entry of heavily polluting vehicles.
Starting from November 1, 2025, it will ban non-Delhi-registered BS-III commercial vehicles. In this regard, the entry of such vehicles will be monitored and regulated by enforcement teams deployed at critical border points.
This twin strategy-simplifying the process of transferring out the older vehicles while toughening entry restrictions on highly polluting commercial vehicles-should bring down overall pollution without penalizing responsible car owners.
What’s Changed in Delhi’s Old Vehicle Rules:
Delhi earlier had strict rules for older vehicles. Petrol cars more than 15 years old and diesel cars more than 10 years old are automatically de-registered, and the owners get only a one-year window to apply for an NOC that has to be used for transferring their vehicles to another state where older cars can still be legally used.
The failure to apply within the deadline saw their vehicle classified as “end-of-life,” and owners will have no option but to scrap it, even if the car was still in good condition.
That one-year limit is completely gone with the new 2025 update. Now, vehicle owners can apply for an NOC at any point in time, irrespective of how long their car has been deregistered.
Thousands of Delhi residents-who have kept their older cars sitting in their garages-will now get a chance to sell, transfer, or re-register their vehicles without being fined for missing a strict deadline. It is a practical step that balances environmental goals with real-world needs for car owners.
Delhi Car Pollution Rules 2025 – What This Means for Vehicle Owners
The 2025 NOC update brings real advantages to car owners all over Delhi and NCR:
There is no time pressure: You can apply for an NOC at any time, even if your car’s registration has expired years ago.
Keep your car in use: Instead of scrapping the older vehicles, the car owners can legally move them to other states where they remain in circulation.
Higher resale potential: Vehicles that had almost no residual value in Delhi can be sold officially in other states like Punjab, Rajasthan, or Madhya Pradesh, which increases the second-hand market.
Simpler process: The paperwork is not as stressful for the owner of the vehicle or dealers who handle many cars without the one-year restriction.
Now, a 12-year-old diesel SUV that would otherwise have remained in a garage can be transferred and re-registered in another state. Overall, this change allows flexibility and financial relief for vehicle owners by keeping the pollution targets of the city in focus.
Auto Gully Remarks
Even with the new NOC flexibility, the essential rules regarding older vehicles in Delhi have not changed: diesel cars more than 10 years old and petrol cars more than 15 years old cannot be driven within the city. The updated policy does not permit these vehicles to run on Delhi’s roads; it only extends the timeline for their transfer, sale, or re-registration in other states.
Going forward, we could see more states or NCRs to go with this old vehicle pollution ban. The management of old cars is being made faster, easier, and more transparent with the development of digital RC services along with automated testing centers.