New Toll Rule Won’t Let You Buy New Car! » MotorOctane

If you drive on national highways, you cannot afford to miss this. Over the years, there have been several cases where vehicles pass through national highway toll plazas without paying the required toll fee. This can happen for various reasons, such as a low FASTag balance, technical glitches, or deliberate non-payment by some individuals. To overcome this issue, the Government of India has now updated the Central Motor Vehicles Rules for 2026, linking the unpaid toll fees to some really important vehicle services. Here’s everything you need to know about the updated norms.
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How Unpaid Toll Can Affect Vehicle Owners 

As per the updated Central Motor Vehicle Rules, any pending toll amount will be treated as an “unpaid user fee”. This will apply to all vehicles, whether owned by private citizens or commercial operators in any context. If such dues exist, vehicle owners will not be issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC). The NOC is a key document required to transfer ownership to another state or district, confirming that the vehicle has no pending taxes, challans, or legal issues.

Vehicle owners with unpaid toll fees will be barred from transferring ownership of the vehicle, moving across states or renewing the fitness certificate. For commercial vehicles, pending dues can further block the issuance or renewal of national permits. Form 28, which is used to apply for an NOC, has also been updated to require applicants to declare any pending toll fees. The users can easily complete the process online at their convenience. 

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How Does It Work?

The newly introduced changes are closely tied to the government’s plan to instigate a barrier-free toll system. This system aims to remove physical toll booths, with vehicles being charged automatically using integrated technologies, including Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) with AI Analytics and RFID-based Electronic Toll Collection (FASTag).

Every vehicle passing through a toll plaza will be recorded by the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system, and any unpaid tolls will be tracked as “unpaid user fees”. These rules will ensure that the dues are cleared before the vehicle can access important services, making toll evasion harder for anyone. 

MoRTH Minister Nitin Gadkari has stated that introducing a smooth, barrier-free toll system on national highways will be the government’s primary focus in 2026. As stated, the new tolling setup will significantly reduce operating costs, from about 15% to 3%.

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What The Drivers Should Keep In Mind?

If the toll remains unpaid, e-notices will be served to the violators, non-payment of which may result in suspension of FASTag and other VAHAN-related penalties. To avoid delays or last-minute problems, it’s important to regularly check your FASTag balance and transaction history.