To enhance public convenience, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Thursday said it will discontinue the know your vehicle (KYV) process to issue ‘FASTags’ for cars with effect from February 1, 2026.
Accordingly, the decision is intended to address issues of inconvenience and delays faced by highway users after FASTag activation due to post-issuance KYV requirements, even when valid vehicle documents had already been submitted.
“For existing FASTags already issued to cars, KYV will no longer be mandatory as a routine requirement,” the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said.
“KYV will be required only in specific cases where complaints are received, such as issues related to incorrect issuance or misuse. In the absence of any complaint, no KYV will be required for existing car FASTags.”
Besides discontinuing post-activation KYV, NHAI has strengthened pre-activation validation norms for issuer banks to ensure accuracy and compliance.
Mandatory validation
Notably, FASTag activation will now be permitted only after mandatory validation of vehicle details from the VAHAN database.
Furthermore, the earlier provision that allowed validation after activation has been discontinued.
In addition, in cases where vehicle details are not available on the VAHAN database, issuer banks will be required to validate details using the Registration Certificate prior to activation, with full accountability.
Additionally, FASTags sold through online channels will also be activated only after complete validation by banks.
“These measures ensure that vehicle verification is completed upfront, removing the need for repeated follow-ups with customers after FASTag activation,” the statement said.