DL-13 is back, DL-14 scrapped: What this change means for every vehicle owner in Delhi

The Delhi transport department is planning to reopen 13 regional transport offices (RTOs), aligning one office with each district, as part of a restructuring exercise aimed at improving public access to services.

Officials familiar with the development said the move is intended to complement the city’s existing faceless services model by restoring physical access points for residents who require in-person assistance.

At present, only four RTOs, located at Mall Road, Sarai Kale Khan, Mayur Vihar and Dwarka, are operational for physical services. Several centres were shut earlier following the push towards digital governance in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Balancing faceless services with physical access

As per a Hindustan Times report, a senior transport department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the restructuring seeks to address gaps in accessibility.

“The department had successfully transitioned over 33 services to faceless mode in recent years. However, there remains a need for physical touchpoints. The reorganisation of RTOs in line with revenue districts will ensure that citizens do not have to travel long distances,” the official said.

Over the past few years, nearly 90% of transport-related service, including learner’s licences, licence renewals, duplicate licences, vehicle ownership transfers and permits, have been moved online to reduce footfall and improve transparency.

However, officials noted that several processes still require physical verification, inspections or document submission, making the reopening of district-level RTOs necessary.

District-wise rollout planned

According to official orders accessed by Hindustan Times, the 13 RTOs will be operationalised across districts at locations including Mall Road (Old Delhi), Jam Nagar House (New Delhi), Lado Sarai (South), Hari Nagar (West), Loni (North East), Sarai Kale Khan (South East), Mayur Vihar (East), Wazirpur (Central North), Dwarka (South West), Raja Garden (Central), Rohini-1 (Outer North), Burari (North) and Rohini-2 (North West).

Officials said timelines for full operationalisation will be announced separately, once infrastructure, staffing and digital integration are in place.

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DL-13 series to return, DL-14 scrapped

As part of the administrative realignment, the department has also decided to revive the DL-13 vehicle registration series, which had remained unused in recent years.

Officials said the DL-14 serieswhich was introduced earlier after skipping DL-13, will now be discontinued.

“The DL-13 series is being brought back into circulation as part of the reorganisation. The earlier decision to skip this series had no administrative bearing, and its resumption will help streamline registration sequences across districts,” the official said.