Delhi Fuel Ban Reversed: How to Retrieve Your Seized or Sold Old Car

In this article, we have listed ways on how to get back your car if it has been seized by authority due to emission norms or sold it cheap.

In a move to fight against pollution, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) shocked the Delhi-NCR with a new emission rule in 2015. The authorities have released an order, putting a blanket ban on diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years.

Fast forward to 2025, the government made a slight change in the rule and tried to make it stricter by putting a ban on fuel distribution to such vehicles. Later, after receiving backlash from the public, a big twist had to be taken, where the government partially reversed the ban on diesel cars.

This brought a wave of both relief and regret among former vehicle owners who parted ways by selling their cars under pressure or got seized by the authorities under the latest rule. Now, what to do as a customer if the car is seized or gone to the new owner? Well, do not worry, we have got your back as there is a way to get your beloved machine back again.

How to Get it Back if Seized?

First thing first, check the vehicle status by visiting the Delhi Transport Department portal or the Vahan website.

Enter your vehicle number to see its current status.

Check if it has been stored, scrapped, auctioned or deregistered.

If it shows the seized category and is in the vehicle yard, then you may be able to apply for its release.

Submit a request to the RTO or enforcement department.

After charging for parking/yard charges, one must give the car to complete fitness and pollution tests.

Once passed, it will shine again in your garage.

To note, there is no guarantee that everyone whose car got seized will get it back. There is a chance that the car might fail the fitness test and not be able to impress the authorities. In such a case, it might go as scrap, and the release application might get rejected as well.

What If Sold Under Pressure?

If you have sold it to a buyer outside Delhi, first track it down.

Raise a request to repurchase it by giving details that it wasn’t scrapped or deregistered.

Keep in mind, you’ll need to check if the vehicle can now be re-registered in Delhi under the new norms or not.

Meanwhile, the Delhi fuel ban reversal has arrived as a ray of hope for car owners who thought they would never be able to see their cars again. However, there is a chance that some people might get lucky and get their beloved machine back.

According to the source: News18.