Bengaluru, 15 August 2026: Motorists in Karnataka will have to pay more for vehicle emission testing from August 15, following the state government's revision of fees for issuing Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates.
Under the revised fee structure, the testing charge for two-wheelers has increased from ₹65 to ₹80, while auto-rickshaw owners will now pay ₹80 instead of ₹75. For cars powered by petrol, LPG or CNG, the fee has been raised from ₹115 to ₹150. The testing charge for diesel vehicles has increased from ₹160 to ₹200.
The revised rates were notified by the Karnataka government following a proposal from the Transport Commissioner and Commissioner for Road Safety. The proposal was made after the Karnataka Emission Testing Centers Owners’ Association sought a revision of the existing charges.
New PUC Testing Charges in Karnataka
The government said the revision was necessary due to the increase in operating costs faced by authorised emission testing centers. These include higher expenditure on fuel, rent, electricity, employee salaries, equipment maintenance, printer cartridges and other operational requirements.
The revised charges have been notified under Rule 231-B(13) of the Karnataka Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.
Only computerised centers can collect revised fees
The revised charges will apply specifically to emission testing for the issuance of PUC certificates. Only computerized pollution testing centers will be permitted to collect the new fees.
The government has also prescribed operational requirements for testing centers. Centers must employ qualified personnel and ensure that gas analyzers are periodically recalibrated. The date and time of the latest calibration must be displayed prominently.
Testing centres have also been directed to ensure that PUC certificates contain no handwritten alterations or entries and that adequate space is available for conducting tests and handling vehicles.
How long is a PUC certificate valid?
PUC certificates are generally valid for six months. Vehicles complying with BS-IV and BS-VI emission norms are eligible for one-year validity, subject to the applicable rules.
Under Rule 115 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, a PUC certificate can be issued only when a vehicle's emissions are within the prescribed limits.
Fee hike linked to rising operating costs
Yogesh, president of the Karnataka Emission Testing Centres Owners’ Association, welcomed the fee revision and described it as a long-pending increase.
Testing centre operators have also raised concerns over the cost of a new software system being introduced to monitor PUC testing. The proposed system is expected to track details including the number of vehicles tested, pass and fail results, vehicle categories and regional data.
The association had questioned the cost and implementation of the software, including why the work was not assigned to the National Informatics Centre (NIC). A senior Transport Department official, however, said due process was followed and Meru Info Solutions was selected for the project.
For motorists, the immediate change is straightforward: getting a PUC certificate now costs more in Karnataka, with the revised rates taking effect from August 15.
Keywords
Karnataka PUC fee hike, PUC testing fees Karnataka, PUC certificate charges, Karnataka vehicle PUC rates, Two-wheeler PUC fee, Diesel vehicle PUC fee, Citizen News Puttur