Road Tax in Maharashtra: Everything You Need to Know
Table of Content
- 1. Introduction
- 2. What Is Road Tax and Why Do You Pay It?
- 3. Road Tax in Maharashtra: The Basics
- 4. Car Road Tax in Maharashtra (Private Vehicles)
- 5. Road Tax in Mumbai: Is It Different?
- 6. Commercial Vehicle Tax in Maharashtra
- 7. How to Pay Road Tax in Maharashtra Online
- 8. Documents Required for Road Tax Payment
- 9. Before You Hit the Road
- 10. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Road Tax in Maharashtra: Everything You Need to Know
Introduction
The sticker price of a new car is rarely what you end up paying. Most of the jump from the ex-showroom figure to the final on-road amount comes down to road tax in Maharashtra. For a private car it is charged just once, and knowing roughly what it will be saves you an unpleasant surprise at the showroom desk.
At MG Modi, we get asked about this almost every day. So here is a plain, complete explainer: how the tax works, what the July 2025 revision changed, where private and commercial vehicles differ, and how to pay it yourself online. If you are already comparing variants and looking up the MG Hector price in Mumbai, working out the tax early makes budgeting far easier.
This guide from MG Modi breaks down MG Shield in plain terms, with a close look at the Protect Plan, so you know what it covers, what it costs you in peace of mind, and who is eligible. If you are still deciding on a model, our team at the MG showroom in Mumbai can match the right plan to the right car.
What Is Road Tax and Why Do You Pay It?
Road tax is a state charge, collected under the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Tax Act, 1958. It funds the roads, flyovers and public transport we all use. Since it is a state matter, your rate is decided by where the vehicle is registered, not where the company built it.
Private cars in Maharashtra pay a one-time tax when they are registered. Pay it once and the vehicle is covered for 15 years, after which it needs renewal. Commercial vehicles, as we will see, work differently.
Road Tax in Maharashtra: The Basics
Three things decide how much you pay:
- Fuel type – petrol, diesel, CNG, LPG or electric
- Price of the car – its ex-showroom value
- Category – private or commercial
An amendment that came into force on 1 July 2025 revised the slabs. Each fuel type went up by roughly one percent, and the ceiling on total tax climbed from ₹20 lakh to ₹30 lakh. That last change bites mainly at the luxury end.
Also Read: Car Safety Rating in India: A Complete Guide
Car Road Tax in Maharashtra (Private Vehicles)
For a private four-wheeler, the car road tax in Maharashtra climbs as the price climbs. Diesel is taxed the hardest. CNG and LPG cars get off lightest, a deliberate nudge from the state towards cleaner fuel.
The current one-time rates look like this:
|
Vehicle price (ex-showroom) |
Petrol | Diesel | CNG / LPG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to ₹10 lakh | 11% | 13% | 8% |
| ₹10 lakh to ₹20 lakh | 12% | 14% | 9% |
| Above ₹20 lakh | 13% | 15% | 10% |
Three things sit outside the table and are easy to miss:
- Electric cars still get generous tax and registration relief, which makes them the cheapest option here by a wide margin.
- Imported cars, or any car registered in a company's name, pay a flat 20%.
- Total tax is now capped at ₹30 lakh, so the priciest cars stop at that ceiling.
A Quick Example
Take a petrol car at ₹9 lakh. At 11%, the tax comes to around ₹99,000. Buy the diesel version at the same price and you are looking at 13%, or roughly ₹1.17 lakh, a difference of nearly ₹18,000 before you have driven a metre. Fuel choice, then, shapes far more than your monthly running cost. If you are torn between four gearboxes, our guide on the manual vs automatic car question is a good place to settle it before you book.
Road Tax in Mumbai: Is It Different?
People often assume road tax in Mumbai runs on its own rules. It does not. The city sits under the same state Act, so the slabs above hold whether you register in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur or Nashik. Your RTO may change; the percentage will not.
Want the exact figure for the model you have in mind? The team at our MG showroom in Mumbai can total up the tax and registration for you before you pay a rupee.
Commercial Vehicle Tax in Maharashtra
Vehicles that earn their keep, carrying goods or passengers, are treated separately. The commercial vehicle tax in Maharashtra usually rests on gross vehicle weight for goods carriers, or on the number of seats for buses, rather than on a share of the price.
Also Read: Difference Between Hybrid and Petrol Cars
Goods Vehicles
For goods carriers, the road tax for commercial vehicles in Maharashtra tracks the loaded weight of the vehicle. The one-time figures run roughly as follows:
| Gross vehicle weight | One-time tax |
|---|---|
| Up to 750 kg | ₹8,400 |
| 751 to 1,500 kg | ₹13,650 |
| 1,501 to 3,000 kg | ₹18,900 |
| 3,001 to 4,500 kg | ₹25,200 |
| 4,501 to 6,000 kg | ₹31,500 |
| 6,001 to 7,500 kg | ₹37,800 |
Anything heavier than 7,500 kg is generally taxed year by year instead.
Passenger Vehicles
Buses and similar carriers pay per seat, each year:
- Ordinary, non air-conditioned: about ₹800 a seat
- Air-conditioned: about ₹1,800 a seat
- Standee buses: about ₹200 a seat
Privately used omni buses are usually charged at the same rates as a private petrol or diesel car.
How to Pay Road Tax in Maharashtra Online
You can settle it from home on the government’s Parivahan portal:
- Open parivahan.gov.in.
- Go to “Online Services” for vehicle-related services.
- Pick Maharashtra as your state, then your RTO.
- Enter your vehicle details and check them.
- Choose “Pay Your Tax”.
- Pay by net banking, card or UPI.
- Save and print the e-receipt.
For a brand-new car, the dealer usually handles registration and tax at delivery, so most buyers never touch this screen.
Documents Required for Road Tax Payment
Have these ready before you start:
- Vehicle invoice or proof of purchase
- Registration certificate, or Form 20 for a new vehicle
- Valid insurance certificate
- Address and identity proof
- Your previous tax receipt, if re-registering
Before You Hit the Road
With the paperwork behind you, the drive is the fun part. Ahead of any long trip, it pays to run through a proper road trip car checklist, tyres, brakes, fluids, lights and papers, so nothing catches you out halfway.
Weather deserves its own thought. When the rains arrive, a few practical car monsoon tips, from testing your wipers to checking tyre grip and headlight beam, go a long way on Mumbai’s slick roads.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is road tax in Maharashtra a one-time payment?
For most private cars, yes. You pay it once at registration and it lasts 15 years. Commercial vehicles usually pay annually.
2. Can I claim a refund if I leave the state?
Yes. Move your car out of Maharashtra and re-register it elsewhere, and you can apply for a refund on the unused period, adjusted for depreciation.
3. How is an electric car taxed?
EVs currently enjoy state exemptions, so you pay little to nothing up front. It is still worth confirming the latest position on the day you buy.
