India

At a glanceRequirements at a glance

Business Registration Required

Yes

Yes — Registration under the Companies Act (or as a partnership/LLP/sole proprietorship under applicable state law), plus MSME/Udyam registration where applicable and any required state Shops and Establishment Act registration.

GST Registration Required

Yes, generally mandatory — Businesses providing goods transport services must register for GST, generally regardless of turnover for goods transport specifically (registration thresholds vary somewhat by state and by whether the business qualifies as a formal Goods Transport Agency).

Goods Transport Agency (GTA) Classification

Relevant — Under GST, a transporter that issues a consignment note is classified as a Goods Transport Agency, a category that explicitly includes “transportation of goods (including used household goods for personal use).” GTA services are taxed at 5% (without input tax credit, generally under reverse charge, where the recipient pays) or 18% (with input tax credit, under forward charge) — a mover must choose and correctly apply one basis.

Carriage by Road Act Registration

Yes

Yes — Separate from GST and vehicle permits, a “common carrier” operating goods vehicles must register under the Carriage by Road Act, 2007, within 90 days of starting operations; failing to register within 180 days requires ceasing operations until registered.

Goods Vehicle Permit Required — State or National

Yes

Yes — Every commercial goods vehicle needs a permit from a state RTO under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. A State Permit (Section 79) covers operation only within the issuing state. A National Permit (Section 88(12)) covers the whole of India, or a minimum of four contiguous states including the home state, and requires additional authorization fees paid to each state entered.

State-Level Variation Is Real

Yes

Yes — Permit administration sits with each state’s RTO under its own Transport Department, and specific local rules can differ. For example, Delhi does not require the standard interstate counter-signature for goods vehicles up to 7,500kg gross weight that aren’t running on clean fuel — a state-specific carve-out that wouldn’t be obvious from the national framework alone.

Vehicle Age Limits (National Permit)

Yes

Yes — A goods vehicle (other than multi-axle) must not exceed 12 years old; a multi-axle vehicle must not exceed 15 years, to remain eligible for a National Permit.

GPS/VLT Tracking Device Required

Yes, for most commercial goods vehicles — An AIS-140 certified GPS/VLT device with a panic button, linked to the state tracking server, is required; the registration certificate will not be issued without an active device.

Annual Fitness Certificate Required

Yes

Yes — Every commercial vehicle must obtain an annual fitness certificate from the RTO; operating with an expired certificate is an offence under the Motor Vehicles Act.

e-Way Bill Required for GST-Registered Movement

Yes, above applicable value thresholds — An e-Way Bill must be generated (by the consignor, or by the transporter if the consignor is unregistered) for goods movement above the applicable value threshold, and must remain valid and accurate throughout the journey.

“IBA Approval” — Not a Government Transport Licence

Important distinction — Many Indian movers advertise “IBA approval” or “IBA-approved” status, and some marketing material describes this as government licensing. It is not. The Indian Banks’ Association is a banking-industry body; IBA approval reflects inclusion on a vendor panel banks and similar institutions use for employee relocation services, not a transport or business licence issued by any government authority. A mover can be fully compliant without it, and IBA approval alone does not confirm compliance with any of the requirements above.

Consumer Protection

Yes

Yes — The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 governs consumer disputes, with a three-tier system of District, State, and National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions; complaints can also be filed through the National Consumer Helpline.

Industry Certification

Indian Movers Association (IMA) — Operates a “Trusted Mover Certification,” a Code of Ethics, a member Grievance Resolution System aimed at resolving trade disputes within 30 days, and a Receivables Protection Program. This is a genuine industry self-regulatory body, distinct from the “IBA approval” credential described above.

OverviewOverview & Scope

India does not license movers through a single national body — business and GST registration are governed nationally, but the vehicle permit that actually authorizes a mover’s trucks to operate is issued and administered by each state’s own RTO, under the national Motor Vehicles Act framework. This creates a genuine two-tier choice: a State Permit for movers operating only within one state, or a National Permit for those crossing state lines, which itself requires paying separate fees to every state entered. Real local variation exists on top of this national framework, as Delhi’s specific carve-out for lighter goods vehicles shows. Separately from vehicle permits, a further registration is required under the Carriage by Road Act, and GST registration brings its own classification question — whether the business qualifies as a Goods Transport Agency, which explicitly covers household goods movement and carries its own tax-treatment choices. Consumer protection runs through the modern Consumer Protection Act, 2019’s tiered commission system. One clarification is worth making plainly, given how often it comes up in this market: “IBA approval,” despite being marketed heavily as a mark of legitimacy, is not a government transport licence — it reflects a bank vendor-panel relationship, not compliance with any of the requirements above.

RegistrationRegistration & Compliance Essentials

Movers must:

1. Register the business under the Companies Act or as an appropriate partnership/LLP/proprietorship, plus MSME/Udyam and state Shops and Establishment registration where applicable.
2. Register for GST, determining whether the business qualifies as a Goods Transport Agency and, if so, choosing and correctly applying either the reverse-charge or forward-charge basis for a given financial year.
3. Register as a common carrier under the Carriage by Road Act, 2007 within 90 days of starting operations.
4. Obtain the correct goods vehicle permit — a State Permit for intrastate-only operation, or a National Permit for multi-state operation, paying the required home-state and destination-state fees.
5. Confirm state-specific permit rules for every state of operation, since administration and local carve-outs (such as Delhi’s) vary.
6. Ensure vehicles meet National Permit age limits, where applicable (12 years generally, 15 for multi-axle).
7. Install and maintain an AIS-140 certified GPS/VLT device with panic button, linked to the relevant state tracking server.
8. Renew the annual fitness certificate for every commercial vehicle.
9. Generate e-Way Bills for GST-registered goods movement above the applicable value threshold, keeping them valid throughout the journey.
10. Not rely on or advertise “IBA approval” as evidence of government licensing — it isn’t one, and confirm actual compliance with the registrations and permits above instead.
11. Consider Indian Movers Association (IMA) certification, a genuine industry self-regulatory credential distinct from IBA vendor-panel status.
12. Retain business registration, GST, Carriage by Road Act registration, vehicle permit, fitness certificate, and e-Way Bill records as required for renewal and regulatory review.

ChecklistCompliance checklist

• Business registration completed (Companies Act / partnership / LLP / proprietorship)Required
• GST registration completed, with correct GTA classification and charge basisRequired
• Carriage by Road Act registration completed within 90 days of starting operationsRequired
• Goods vehicle permit held (State or National, as applicable)Required
• State-specific permit rules confirmed for each state of operationRequired
• Vehicle age within National Permit limits (12/15 years), where applicableRequiredwhere applicable
• AIS-140 GPS/VLT device installed and activeRequired
• Annual fitness certificate currentRequired
• e-Way Bills generated and kept valid for applicable shipmentsRequired
• “IBA approval” not relied upon as proof of government licensingRecommended
• IMA certification or equivalent consideredRecommended
• Business, GST, permit, fitness, and e-Way Bill records retainedRequired