(1) An application by or on behalf of the owner of a motor vehicle for registration shall be in Form E as set forth in the First Schedule, shall contain the information required by that form, and shall be accompanied by the prescribed fee: 2[ Provided that where a motor vehicle is jointly owned by more persons than one, the application shall be made by one of them on behalf of all the owners and such applicant shall be deemed to be the owner of the motor vehicle for the purposes of this Act.]

(2) The registering authority shall issue to the owner of a motor vehicle registered by it a certificate of registration in Form G as set forth in the First Schedule and shall enter in a record to be kept by it particulars of such certificate.

(3) The registering authority shall assign to the vehicle, for display thereon in the prescribed manner, a distinguishing mark (in this Act referred to as the registration mark) consisting of 4[ one of the groups of such of these letters as are allotted to the State by the Central Government from time to time by notification in the Official Gazette,] followed by a number containing not more than four figures: 4[ Provided that 6[ the figures aforesaid shall be shown in Arabic numerals and the letters and figures aforesaid shall be shown].

(4) 5[ A certificate of registration issued under sub- section (2), whether before or after the commencement of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 1978 , in respect of a motor vehicle, other than a transport vehicle, shall, subject to the provisions contained in this Act, be valid only for a period of fifteen years from the date of issue of such certificate and shall be renewable.

(5) An application by or on behalf of the owner of a motor vehicle, other than a transport vehicle, for the renewal of a certificate of registration shall be made within such period as may be prescribed, in Form F as set forth in the First Schedule, shall contain the information required by that Form and shall be accompanied by the prescribed fee.

(6) Where in the case of a certificate of registration issued under this Act before the commencement of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 1978 , in respect of a motor vehicle, other than a transport vehicle, the period of fifteen years referred to in sub- section (4) has expired at such commencement, the holder of such certificate shall apply for the renewal of the said certificate in Form F as set forth in the First Schedule to the registering authority within six months from such commencement or within such extended period not exceeding six months as the authority may, on sufficient cause being shown, allow, and such application shall contain the information required by that Form and shall be accompanied by the prescribed fee.

(7) The registering authority may, on receipt of an application under sub- section (5) or sub- section (6), renew the certificate of registration for the prescribed period-:]

(24A) 3[ Special provision for registration of motor vehicles of diplomatic officers, etc. (1) Where an application for registration of a motor vehicle is made under sub- section (1) of section 24 by or on behalf of any diplomatic officer consular officer, then, notwithstanding anything contained in sub- section (2) or sub- section (3) of that section,: the registering authority shall register the vehicle in such manner and in accordance with such procedure as may be provided by rules made in this behalf by the Central Government under sub section (3) and shall assign to the vehicle for display thereon special registration mark in accordance with the provisions contained in those rules and shall issue a certificate that the vehicle has been registered under this section; and any vehicle so registered shall not so long as it remains the property of any diplomatic office or consular officer, require to be registered otherwise under this Act.

(2) If any vehicle registered under this section ceases to be the property of any diplomatic officer or consular officer, the certificate of registration issued under this section shall also cease to be effective, and the provisions of section 23 shall thereupon apply.

(3) The Central Government may make rules for the registration of motor vehicles belonging to diplomatic officers and consular officers regarding the procedure to be followed by the registering authority for registering such vehicles, the form in which certificates of registration of such vehicles are to be issued, the manner in which certificates of registration are to be sent to the owners of the vehicles and the special registration marks to be assigned to such vehicles.

(4) For the purposes of this section," diplomatic officer" or" consular officer" means any person who is recognised as such by the Central Government and if any question arises as to whether a person is or is not such an officer, the decision of the Central Government thereon shall be final.]