‘Between the Devil and the Deep Sea’: How Kashmir’s Vehicle Registration Rules Have Trapped Ordinary Citizens

‘Between the Devil and the Deep Sea’: Kashmiris Trapped in Outside-Registered Vehicle Crisis Amid Seizure Notices, Heavy Taxes & Bureaucratic Chaos

By: Javid Amin | 13 November 2025

A Crisis On Wheels

In Kashmir today, owning a car has quietly transformed from a symbol of mobility and dignity into a source of anxiety, financial distress, and constant fear. For lakhs of ordinary Kashmiris—teachers, traders, private employees, students, and small businessmen—their vehicles have become liabilities rather than assets.

Bought legally, driven responsibly, and often purchased outside Jammu & Kashmir to save costs, these vehicles are now at the center of a growing administrative storm. The government’s enforcement drive against outside-registered vehicles—combined with hefty transfer charges, rigid laws, and a nightmarish paperwork process—has placed citizens in what many describe as a “devil and the deep sea” situation.

Either:

• Pay lakhs of rupees in re-registration and road tax, or

• Face seizure notices, fines, and impounding of vehicles

For many families already struggling with rising inflation, unemployment, and economic slowdown, neither option is realistic.

This is no longer just a transport issue. It has evolved into a full-blown governance and trust crisis.

How It Started: Why Kashmiris Bought Outside-Registered Vehicles

01. A Cost-Driven Decision, Not Lawlessness

For years, Kashmiris purchased vehicles from Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh for one simple reason: cost efficiency.

• Lower ex-showroom prices

• Better availability of models

• Faster delivery timelines

• Competitive dealer discounts

At a time when local dealerships were limited and vehicle prices in J&K were often higher due to logistics and taxes, buying outside was a rational economic choice—not a legal loophole.

02. A Practice Known to Authorities

Importantly, this trend was never hidden:

• Vehicles moved openly on roads

• Insurance, PUC, and documentation were valid

• Enforcement agencies were aware

For years, there was tacit administrative tolerance, creating a public expectation that the practice was manageable, if not officially encouraged.

The Law Tightens: Mandatory Re-Registration Rules

01. What the Law Says

Under the Motor Vehicles Act:

• Vehicles used permanently in another state must be re-registered

• Road tax must be paid to the new state/UT

In theory, this is standard across India.

02. The Kashmir Reality

What makes J&K different is:

• Scale: Lakhs of vehicles affected

• Cost: Road tax and penalties running into lakhs

• Process: Excessively complex and time-consuming

Instead of a phased, citizen-friendly transition, enforcement arrived abruptly—through seizure notices and fines.

The Financial Shock: Double Taxation & Lakh-Rupee Bills

01. Road Tax in Lakhs

Many vehicle owners report:

• Road tax demands between ₹1 lakh to ₹4 lakh

• Additional penalties for “delay”

• No adjustment for tax already paid in another state

For middle-class families, this is financially devastating.

02. Double Taxation Without Relief

Citizens ask a basic question:

“If road tax was already paid once, why are we paying again in full?”

The absence of:

• Pro-rata adjustments

• Refund mechanisms

• Amnesty or waiver schemes

…has turned compliance into punishment.

‘Hell Of Paperwork’: A Process Designed To Exhaust

01. The Transfer Maze

To re-register a vehicle, owners must obtain:

• NOC from original RTO

• Police clearance

• Transport department approvals

• Physical vehicle inspections

• Multiple affidavits

Each step involves:

• Repeated visits

• Long waiting periods

• Informal “facilitation costs”

02. For Migrants, Employees, and Students—Impossible

Thousands of Kashmiris who bought vehicles while:

• Working outside

• Studying in other states

• Running businesses

…now find it nearly impossible to travel back repeatedly just to complete formalities.

Seizure Notices: The Turning Point

01. Enforcement Over Empathy

Instead of easing compliance, authorities escalated enforcement:

• Seizure notices issued

• Vehicles impounded

• Fines imposed

This hardened public anger.

02. “Harassment to Mint Extra Bucks”

The dominant public perception is not legality—but revenue extraction.

People argue:

• No public awareness campaign preceded enforcement

• No grace period was provided

• No financial relief was announced

As a result, seizure is seen as harassment, not governance.

Scale Of The Problem: Lakhs Trapped, Few Compliant

This is not an isolated violation—it is a mass compliance failure.

The Human Cost: Stories Behind The Statistics

01. A Teacher’s Salary vs Transfer Fees

A government school teacher earning ₹45,000 a month is asked to pay ₹2 lakh in road tax.

“Should I feed my family or save my car?”

02. A Small Trader’s Livelihood at Risk

For traders, vehicles are tools of survival. Seizure means:

• Business loss

• Missed deliveries

• Financial collapse

03. Students & Young Professionals

Young Kashmiris already facing unemployment now carry:

• EMI burdens

• Legal uncertainty

• Psychological stress

Why This Issue Cuts Deeper In Kashmir

01. A Region With Trust Deficit

Kashmir’s relationship with administration is fragile. Actions perceived as:

• Punitive

• Revenue-driven

• Insensitive

…quickly translate into broader resentment.

02. Post-2019 Governance Expectations

After repeated assurances of:

• Ease of living

• Transparent governance

• Citizen-centric reforms

This crackdown feels like a betrayal of those promises.

A Governance Failure, Not A Transport One

This crisis reflects:

• Poor policy design

• Zero stakeholder consultation

• Absence of phased implementation

• Lack of empathy

It highlights a governance style that prioritizes enforcement over resolution.

Legal & Civil Response Brewing

01. Potential Legal Challenges

Civil groups are exploring:

• Petitions against double taxation

• Challenges to retrospective enforcement

• Demands for uniform national policy

02. Growing Civil Society Pressure

Transport unions, traders, and activists are demanding:

• Immediate suspension of seizures

• Waiver or reduction of charges

• Simplified process

What Could Have Been Done Differently

01. Amnesty Scheme

A one-time amnesty for existing vehicles could have ensured:

• Voluntary compliance

• Revenue without resentment

02. Single-Window System

Digital, time-bound processing could reduce:

• Corruption

• Harassment

• Delays

03. Pro-Rata Tax Adjustment

Credit for tax already paid would restore fairness.

The Way Forward: Practical Solutions

Between Law And Livelihood: A Final Reflection

The law exists to serve society—not to crush it.

In Kashmir, the outside-registered vehicle issue has crossed a line. What began as a regulatory requirement has mutated into a collective punishment of ordinary citizens. Families feel trapped, anxious, and unheard.

This is why people say:

“A Kashmiri is stuck between the devil and the deep sea.”

Pay exorbitant charges and sink financially—or resist and risk losing your vehicle.

Unless the administration course-corrects—with empathy, flexibility, and dialogue—this issue will continue to deepen public resentment and erode trust.

This is not about cars.
It is about dignity, fairness, and governance that understands ground realities.