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Politics
Rajasthan High Court Declares Road Tax Collection from Out‑of‑State Cars Illegal
✍️ Amar Ujala · Jaipur
🗓 05 Nov 2026, 08:36 AM
👁 1
The Rajasthan High Court ruled that the transport department's attempt to collect road tax from privately owned vehicles registered in other states and seize them for non‑payment was unlawful, citing lack of statutory notification.
The Rajasthan High Court on Monday struck down a directive issued by the state transport department that sought to levy road tax on private cars registered outside Rajasthan and to confiscate vehicles for non‑payment. The court held that the department had no statutory authority to impose such a tax without a formal notification from the state government.
In its judgment, the court emphasized that road tax is a state‑level tax and can only be collected by a state if it has been notified in the state’s official gazette. Since the transport department had not issued such a notification, the tax collection and seizure measures were deemed illegal.
The ruling is expected to affect thousands of commuters who own vehicles registered in neighboring states but travel frequently through Rajasthan. Transport officials will need to revise their enforcement procedures to comply with the court’s directive.
The court directed the transport department to withdraw the pending orders and to seek a proper notification if it wishes to pursue road tax collection from out‑of‑state vehicles in the future.
In its judgment, the court emphasized that road tax is a state‑level tax and can only be collected by a state if it has been notified in the state’s official gazette. Since the transport department had not issued such a notification, the tax collection and seizure measures were deemed illegal.
The ruling is expected to affect thousands of commuters who own vehicles registered in neighboring states but travel frequently through Rajasthan. Transport officials will need to revise their enforcement procedures to comply with the court’s directive.
The court directed the transport department to withdraw the pending orders and to seek a proper notification if it wishes to pursue road tax collection from out‑of‑state vehicles in the future.