Leh: In a move that brings significant relief to vehicle owners, the Administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh has announced a road tax exemption for vehicles brought from outside the UT and assigned a new registration mark.
As per Order No. 41 RTO of 2025, issued by the Regional Transport Officer (RTO), UT of Ladakh, road tax (6% or 9%, as applicable) will no longer be charged on such vehicles.
The exemption is granted in accordance with Sections 47 to 50 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and Rule 54 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989.
This decision follows the directions of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh in two landmark cases — Zarina Bano v. UT of Ladakh and Khadim Hussain v. UT of Ladakh. The Court ruled that the term “re-registration” must be replaced with “assignment of new registration mark” and that no road tax should be levied in such cases.
In line with these directives, the NIC/VAHAN team has been instructed to immediately implement necessary changes in the VAHAN portal to reflect the new tax exemption and facilitate smooth processing.
The order, issued with the approval of the Competent Authority, was signed by M.A. Bhatt (JKAS), Regional Transport Officer, UT of Ladakh.
