Karnataka Road Tax & RTO Charges — 2026 Rates

Karnataka bands road tax by price, so a petrol car pays 13–18% of the ex-showroom price under the KA RTO. At ₹12,00,000 the rate is 17%, which is ₹2,04,000. On top of that you pay a ₹600 registration fee and ₹1100 for the HSRP plate — ₹1,700 in fixed charges — plus ₹1500 for hypothecation if the vehicle is financed.

No — Karnataka does not offer a blanket EV exemption. Electric cars are taxed at 10% at this price against 17% for petrol, so the saving is real but partial. Registration and HSRP charges apply unchanged.

Karnataka makes no distinction — petrol and diesel cars are both taxed at 17% at a ₹12,00,000 ex-showroom price. Several states do load diesel higher as an emissions measure, but Karnataka is not one of them.

Yes. Road tax is a state levy, so re-registering a vehicle in Karnataka means paying Karnataka road tax on the vehicle's depreciated value, and claiming a refund of the unused portion from the state you left. Apply through the KA RTO with Form 28 (NOC), Form 27 and the original registration certificate. Budget several weeks — the refund from the origin state is usually the slow half.

Yes, through the central Vahan portal (vahan.parivahan.gov.in), which handles KA RTO payments. For a new vehicle the dealer normally pays road tax on your behalf and builds it into the on-road price — worth checking the breakup line by line, because it is the single largest addition over ex-showroom.