Kerala Motor Vehicles Department
The Kerala Motor Vehicles Department, colloquially known as the MVD or Kerala MVD, is the motor vehicle law enforcement agency under the Transport Department of the Government of Kerala. It is responsible for the enforcement of motor vehicle laws, issuing driving licences, registering motor vehicles, ensuring road safety, and the levy and collection of road tax in the state. The department is administered by the Transport Commissioner who is the Head of the Department. The current Transport Commissioner is Nagaraju Chakilam, IPS.
It is primarily responsible for enforcing the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and its associated rules and regulations within the state of Kerala.
Organization
Transport commissionerate
The Kerala MVD functions under the provisions of Section 213 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The headquarters of the Motor Vehicles Department, known as the Transport Commissionerate, is situated in Thiruvananthapuram.The Motor Vehicles Department is headed by the Transport Commissioner, typically an IPS officer of the rank of Additional [director general of police|Additional Director General of Police]. The current Transport Commissioner is CH Nagaraju IPS. The Transport Commissioner is assisted by the Additional Transport Commissioner, Joint Transport Commissioners and Deputy Transport Commissioners. At the Head Office, one Additional Transport Commissioner, two Joint Transport Commissioners, one Senior Deputy Transport Commissioners, one Assistant Transport Commissioner, and other ministerial and administrative officials assist the Transport Commissioner.
Zonal offices
There are four zonal offices headed by Deputy Transport Commissioners.| Sl. No. | Zone | Administrative jurisdiction |
| 1 | South Zone | RTOs and Sub RTOs in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, and Alappuzha districts |
| 2 | Central Zone-I | RTOs and SRTOs in Thrissur, Palakkad, and Malappuram districts |
| 3 | Central Zone-II | RTOs and SRTOs in Kottayam, Idukki, and Ernakulam districts |
| 4 | North Zone | RTOs and SRTOs in Kozhikode, Kannur, Wayanad, and Kasaragod districts |
Regional Transport Offices (RTOs)
The MVD has two functional wings: Enforcement Wing and Administration Wing.There are 19 Regional Transport Offices responsible for transport administration, including vehicle registration, issuance of driving licences, and other vehicle- and licence-related services. It includes two Special RTOs located at Thiruvananthapuram—one for the nationalised sector and another for government vehicles.
Enforcement Regional Transport Offices
Kerala has 14 Enforcement Regional Transport Offices, one in each district, responsible for road safety enforcement and the implementation of motor vehicle laws within their respective jurisdictions. The MVD Enforcement Wing comprises 14 RTOs, 65 Motor Vehicle Inspectors and 187 Assistant Motor Vehicles Inspectors.Sub Regional Transport Offices
Sub-regional Transport Offices are headed by joint regional transport officers. There are 68 SRTO offices across the state.| Category | Post | Sanctioned strength |
| Executive | Transport Commissioner | 1 |
| Executive | Additional / Joint Transport Commissioner | 1 |
| Executive | Senior Deputy Transport Commissioner & Secretary, State Transport Authority | 1 |
| Executive | Senior Deputy Transport Commissioner | 1 |
| Executive | Assistant Transport Commissioner | 1 |
| Executive | Zonal Deputy Transport Commissioners | 4 |
| Executive | Regional Transport Officers | 18 |
| Executive | Joint Regional Transport Officers | 42 |
| Executive | Motor Vehicle Inspectors | 126 |
| Executive | Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspectors | 286 |
| Non-executive | Administrative Officer | 1 |
| Non-executive | Law Officer | 1 |
| Non-executive | Finance Officer | 1 |
| Non-executive | Statistical Officer | 1 |
| Non-executive | Accounts Officer | 1 |
| Non-executive | Senior Superintendents | 31 |
| Non-executive | Junior Superintendents | 49 |
| Non-executive | Head Accountant / PRO / Head Clerk | 117 |
| Non-executive | Clerks | 614 |
Functions and responsibilities
- Enforcement of motor vehicle laws and traffic regulations
- Issue and renewal of driving licences and learner’s licences
- Registration of motor vehicles and issue of Registration Certificates
- Transfer of ownership and change of address in registration records
- Issue and renewal of permits for transport and commercial vehicles
- Conduct of vehicle fitness tests and certification
- Levy and collection of motor vehicle tax and road tax
- Assignment of registration marks and issue of number plates
- Regulation and monitoring of public transport vehicles
- Road safety promotion, accident prevention and traffic enforcement initiatives
Rank structure
| Title | Insignia | Notes |
| Transport Commissioner | - | Post held by an IPS officer on deputation. |
| Additional Transport Commissioner | - | Ex-cadre post |
| Joint Transport Commissioner | - | Managerial/administrative role |
| Senior Deputy Transport Commissioner | - | Managerial/administrative role |
| Deputy Transport Commissioner | - | Zonal-level supervisory officer. |
| Regional Transport Officer / Assistant Transport Commissioner | Head of a Regional Transport Office | |
| Joint Regional Transport Officer | Head of a Sub-Regional Transport Office | |
| Motor Vehicles Inspector | Field-level executive officer | |
| Assistant Motor Vehicles Inspector | Entry-level executive post |
In Media
Initiatives
Technological Advancements: AI Cameras (2023-Present)
In 2023, the Kerala Motor Vehicles Department became the first transport department in India to implement a large-scale Artificial Intelligence camera system for traffic violation detection and road safety enforcement. This initiative, known as the "Safe Kerala" scheme, involved the installation of 726 cameras across the state. The AI cameras detect violations such as not wearing helmets and seat belts, overspeeding, careless driving, three people travelling on a two-wheeler among others.Out of the total cameras, 692 were designated for automated fine imposition. During a trial run period, these cameras successfully identified a significant number of traffic violations. MVD officials reported capturing around 4.5 lakh violations, with some cameras detecting as many as 2,500 offenses daily. Following the official launch in April 2023, the number of violations captured by the cameras reportedly dropped to around 2 lakh per day, suggesting a positive impact on driver behavior.