Is your Car Modification legal or Illegal in India?

Every car owner wants to customise their vehicle to improve the outside appearance and driving performance. If you decide to modify your car in a similar way, you need to be aware of Indian regulations regarding vehicle customization.

This is so that everyone who modifies their cars abides by the legal restrictions that the Supreme Court established in 2019. Continue reading this site, which focuses on legal and unlawful automotive modifications, if you want to understand more about these regulations.

Legal Modifications

Upgrading Tyres

As long as the new tyres adhere to the manufacturer's specifications, replacing your car's tyres is lawful. However, while replacing your car's factory tyres, you should install new ones that have a similar load index and speed rating or greater.

Additionally, picking a tyre with a lower sidewall height is necessary if the new tyres have wider sections. You can also fit different types and compounds of tyres into your vehicle.

Upgrading Suspension

Your car's suspension can be upgraded to enhance driving performance. However, improving your car's suspension shouldn't reduce its ability to clear obstacles. It is not permissible to significantly increase or decrease the ground clearance.

Adding Body Kits

Body kits are currently gaining popularity among automobile enthusiasts. Because of this, many automakers also offer them as accessories.

Body kits come with aesthetically pleasing components like a front splitter, body cladding, and side panels that enhance a car's appearance without interfering with structural modifications.

Installing LED DRLs

Your car can have LED DRLs installed. These DRLs are useful in conditions like rain or thick fog since they increase your car's visibility to other drivers on the road.

Changing the Colour of the car

Your car can be repainted in the colour of your choice. To change the colour of your car, you must obtain the RTO's (Regional Transport Office) permission. Additionally, the RC of your vehicle should detail any colour modifications that were made. Avoid at all costs repainting your car Army Green. In India, only the military may use this colour.

Body Wrapping

Your car's factory paint can be protected by body or vinyl covering. This change can cost somewhere between 10,000 and lakhs of rupees. A good body wrap can also last for up to 5 years. Additionally, you can purchase a vinyl cover for your automobile without getting pre- or post-approval from the RTO.

Making modifications for Differently-abled

It is allowed to modify an automobile to make it acceptable for a person with a physical disability by installing modified mirrors, an automatic clutch, automatic brakes, or an accelerator, for example.

Modifying Engine (within Limits)

Your car's engine can be modified. The RTO must, however, approve this adjustment. Not all alterations are permitted in India. For instance, you could swap out the current engine in your car for a more potent one. The engine size of your car shouldn't be larger than what the manufacturer has specified.

Adding aftermarket CNG kits

Installing an aftermarket CNG kit on your car is legal. However, registration with the RTO is necessary for installation, and following that, your car's updated registration certificate will be sent to you.

Illegal Modifications

Loud Horns

You are not permitted to place horns on your car that are louder than 100 decibels, according to government regulations. This suggests that you may be subject to a fine under Indian motor vehicle law if you put decorative aftermarket horns on your car, such as pressure horns or sirens.

Oversized Wheels

Alloy wheels allow you to customise your vehicle. Installing alloy wheels that are too big for your vehicle, however, may result in legal issues.

Tinted Windows

Adding a tint film to your car's window glasses reduces visibility by more than 50% and is forbidden in India unless you are a VVIP or VIP. In addition, it is now against the law to use sunshades on your car's window panes.

Rule 100 of the Central Motor Vehicles Act (CMVA) of 1988 stipulates that every car's back windows and windscreen must be visible to the driver at least 70% of the time. Additionally, the side window glasses of an automobile should have minimum visibility of 50%. Anything less than that is prohibited in India.

Loud Exhaust Pipes

Installing aftermarket exhaust pipes that are stylish and loud is forbidden in India under rule 120 of the CMVA. It's because they can produce additional air as well as noise pollution. Additionally, such exhaust pipes might not pass the Pollution Under Control (PUC) test, which is necessary to operate a vehicle in India.

Custom Number Plates

It's against the law to have a fancy or designer licence plate on your car in India. Every new vehicle is required by law to have high-security licence plates with the IND stamped on them. If you drive an older vehicle, make sure the letters on the licence plate are in a legible font. If the traffic police observe that you are not following these rules, you risk receiving a large fine.