As of February 1, 2026, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is no longer requiring the know-your-vehicle (KYV) process when registering for a new FASTag. This new rule applies nationally to all cars, jeeps, and vans.
NHAI implemented this policy change to reduce the inconvenience often faced by vehicle owners who have activated their FASTags but were still required to provide documentation to complete the KYV process. Previously, vehicle owners were required to undergo KYV verification prior to activation, even if they had validated vehicle documentation; as such, many delays occurred before the issued vehicle got its KYV verification completed.
According to NHAI’s announcement, post-issuance KYV validations for registered users will end once the users have activated their FASTags. In addition to enhancing the public’s ability to use FASTags without having to go through additional verification processes, NHAI hopes that eliminating the possibility of customers being compelled to make additional follow-up inquiries will create a more efficient FASTag onboarding experience for customers.
Banks Get Full Responsibility for Vehicle Verification
According to the new requirement, all banks must verify the vehicle information before activating a FASTag. Every issuer must validate the information they receive directly from the VAHAN database. Only after verifying the data through VAHAN can the banks activate the customer’s FASTag. If the VAHAN database is not available for verification purposes, banks must perform the verification manually using the registration certificate provided by the customer.
Banks that issue FASTags are completely responsible for ensuring that they have performed accurate verification or face potential liability for errors made by the issuing bank. Online sales of FASTags will follow the same verification process used by brick-and-mortar stores. Once a FASTag has been activated, there will be no further verification requirements for the customer. NHAI stated that this process will improve the accuracy of vehicle registrations and decrease the number of complaints from users.
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Existing FASTags Face KYV Only After Complaints
The presence of FASTag in a vehicle will eliminate the need for regular KYV verifications. Verification for FASTag will occur only in response to a specific complaint, i.e. complaints of a loose or improperly attached FASTag, or wrongly or illegally used FASTags. Verification will not occur unless there is a specific report of a problem. The change in requirements for the verification process has shifted the responsibility for compliance with the verification requirements from vehicle owners to their banks.
NHAI believes this change is in keeping with a more transparent and technology driven toll system. NHAI officials estimate there are now more than 80000000 FASTag users across India. Nearly 98% of the vehicles in India use FASTags at the present time. According to NHAI, this is expected to reduce complaints and increase the speed and comfort with which individuals can travel on the nation’s highways.
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