Forms 28, 29, 30 and 35: the RTO paperwork, explained

Most of a used vehicle transfer in West Bengal comes down to four forms. None of them is complicated; the trouble is that buyers meet them for the first time at the RTO counter, with the seller already gone.

Form 28 — the no objection certificate

Needed when the vehicle is moving to a different RTO, including a different district within the state. The selling RTO confirms there is nothing outstanding against the vehicle. Usually issued in triplicate, and it has an expiry, so do not collect it months before you need it.

Form 29 — notice of transfer

The seller's declaration that they have sold the vehicle. Two copies, signed by the seller. This is the form that protects them: until the transfer is recorded, the vehicle is still theirs on paper, and so is anything done with it.

Form 30 — application for transfer

Signed by both of you. The buyer applies to have the registration put in their name; the seller confirms the sale. If there was a loan, this is where the bank's clearance comes in.

Form 35 — removing the bank

The one people forget. If the vehicle was ever financed, the RC shows the lender as the hypothecating party, and Form 35 with the bank's no objection certificate is what takes them off it. A vehicle whose RC still shows a bank is not fully the seller's to sell, however long ago the loan was cleared.

What to do about it as a buyer

• Ask which forms the seller already has before you agree a price. A seller who has none is a seller who has not started.
• Get Form 29 and 30 signed at the same meeting as the money. Chasing a signature afterwards is how transfers stall for months.
• If the RC shows a lender, ask for Form 35 and the bank NOC in writing. "It's cleared, don't worry" is not a document.

Fees and processing times change, and the district offices differ. Ring your own RTO rather than trusting a number you read online — including this one.