In a major relief for private vehicle owners, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced the discontinuation of the know-your-vehicle (KYV) process for cars for all new FASTag issuances starting 1 February 2026. Rolled out quietly but enforced stringently since August 2024, the KYV mandate for FASTag users has triggered widespread complaints of post-activation harassment faced by highway users, with many calling it a form of 'digital harassment'.
According to a statement issued by the Union ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH), the KYV requirement will no longer apply to the car, jeep and van category for FASTags issued after the cut-off date. The ministry says the decision would benefit lakhs of road users who had faced delays, repeated follow-ups and account restrictions even after submitting valid vehicle documents at the time of FASTag purchase.
“This reform will bring significant relief to common road users who were facing inconvenience and delays after FASTag activation due to post-issuance KYV requirements, despite having valid vehicle documents,” the ministry says.
As part of the changes, KYV will also cease to be a routine requirement for existing FASTags issued to cars. However, the process has not been entirely scrapped. KYV checks will still be carried out in specific cases where complaints are received, including instances of loose FASTags, incorrect issuance or suspected misuse. In the absence of any complaint, existing car FASTag users will not be required to undergo KYV, the ministry clarified.
The decision marks a significant shift in the FASTag compliance framework which had drawn criticism from motorists over the past few years. Many users had complained of their FASTags being suspended or blocked due to pending KYV checks, even when toll payments were being deducted regularly, according to a report from the media.
At the same time, NHAI has tightened pre-activation validation norms for banks issuing FASTags to ensure system integrity and prevent misuse. Under the revised framework, FASTag activation will be permitted only after mandatory verification of vehicle details through the VAHAN database. The earlier practice of allowing validation after activation has been discontinued.
Where vehicle details are not available on VAHAN, issuer banks will be required to validate the information using the vehicle’s registration certificate (RC) before activation, with full accountability placed on the bank. FASTags sold through online platforms will also be subject to the same upfront verification norms, the ministry says.
According to MoRTH, the strengthened pre-activation checks would ensure that all verification is completed before a FASTag becomes operational, eliminating the need for repeated follow-ups with customers after activation. Also, shifting the responsibility entirely to issuer banks is expected to reduce consumer grievances and improve trust in the FASTag ecosystem.
FASTag, which enables electronic toll collection across National Highways, has become mandatory for most vehicles in India. While the system has helped reduce congestion at toll plazas, post-issuance KYV checks had emerged as a major pain point for private vehicle-owners.
According to National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)'s October 2024 circular, re-KYV is to be done every three years.
On paper, KYV sounds like a security measure—linking your FASTag to actual vehicle details and images to prevent fraud. But in practice, it feels like a privacy minefield and a logistical nightmare for countless law-abiding citizens.
What is even more surprising is that, to maintain a standardised and reliable database across all toll collection points, details like the vehicle registration number (VRN), chassis number and engine number provided during the FASTag application are already verified with the VAHAN database to confirm their accuracy and authenticity. No surprises, then, that frustrated vehicle- owners have been questioning the real purpose behind the additional KYV requirement.
Hotels, Restaurants Hit as Commercial LPG Rates Climb to 6-month High on New Year’s Day, ATF Prices Cut by 7.3%
Moneylife Digital Team
01 January 2026
The New Year has opened with a sharp increase in cooking fuel costs for India’s hospitality and services sector, as prices of commercial liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders have been increased by ₹111 from 1 January 2026. However,...
Housing Society Problems and Solutions: Amalgamated Flats, Maintenance Disputes and AGM Accountability
Shirish Shanbhag
01 January 2026
Disputes in cooperative housing societies usually do not happen because rules are missing, but because they are interpreted selectively or ignored altogether. Arguments in the cooperative housing society (CHS/the Society) often break...
NCDRC Holds Ludhiana Hospital, Doctors Liable for Trauma Caused to Woman by Unnecessary Face Cancer Surgery
Arna Chatterjee (Bar
and
Bench)
31 December 2025
The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) has upheld a State consumer forum's decision to hold a Ludhiana-based hospital, its surgeon and pathologists at a Ludhiana medical college liable for medical negligence, over...
Mumbai Woman Loses ₹3.71 Crore in ‘Judge Chandrachud’ Digital Arrest Scam
Neha Joshi ( Bar
and
Bench)
30 December 2025
A 68 year old woman from Mumbai’s Andheri West has alleged that she was duped of ₹3.71 crore in a digital arrest scam in which fraudsters staged a fake virtual court presided over by a man posing as a judge named...
