Opportunity To Renew Motor Vehicle Documents Without Any Penalty

The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has issued an urgent notice extending the deadline for motor vehicle ors to update all vehicle documents and driving licenses without paying fines until October 29. Under this final opportunity, owners can update fitness certificates, tax tokens, route permits, and driving licenses by paying only the principal fees and taxes.

Addressing ongoing legal issues, the BRTA made transferring vehicle ownership after a sale mandatory under Section 21 of the Road Transport Act, 2018. Many buyers currently operate vehicles without completing ownership transfers, subjecting original owners to unwarranted advance income taxes and environmental surcharges. To protect sellers, the authority has warned that strict legal action will now be enforced against non-compliant buyers and sellers.

To encourage compliance, the BRTA announced that the ownership transfer process has been significantly streamlined and expedited through online applications at bsp.brta.gov.bd. The process can now be completed on the same day via handheld biometric devices that verify fingerprints in the physical presence of the seller. Meanwhile, new buyers can concurrently submit their biometric data to receive updated digital registration certificates.

Simultaneously, the agency has begun deducting penalty points from driver’s licenses to enforce traffic regulations nationwide strictly. Under Section 11(1) of the Road Transport Act, 2018, each driving license is allocated 12 initial points. The BRTA highlighted that fault points will now be progressively deducted for law violations as an additional administrative penalty alongside traditional fines and imprisonment.