The paperwork, rules and traps — decoded.

BRTA's statutory registration fee is only two slabs: up to 100cc = Tk 2,000, above 100cc = Tk 3,000 (Road Transport Rules 2022). There is no separate registration slab for 125cc vs 150cc vs 250cc vs 350cc, so all >100cc bikes pay the same BRTA package. The buyer pays on top of ex-showroom price: registration fee + inspection + digital registration certificate (DRC) + RFID retro-reflective number plate + road tax (tax token, 2-year or 10-year) + a one-time Financial Assistance Fund (Trustee Board) fee + 15% VAT on BRTA service fees. Dealers usually collect this as a 'registration package' and may add a service charge.

Line by line (above 100cc)

Market quotes run ~৳800 above the sum of official components; dealers often add a service charge. Ask for an itemised receipt.

The process

1. 1Collect from dealer: sale certificate, bill of entry/invoice (or CKD gate pass), VAT documents (Mushak-11), customs/assembly papers
2. 2Apply at BRTA circle office/online; BRTA verifies and issues an assessment slip
3. 3Pay fees at authorised bank or online (bKash etc. via BSP)
4. 4Present the bike for BRTA inspection
5. 5Registration approved; acknowledgement, fitness certificate and tax token issued
6. 6Give biometrics (photo, signature, fingerprints) when notified by SMS for the DRC
7. 7Collect DRC and RFID number plate on SMS notice (BikeBD: typically within ~1 month)

You need to be 18+ for a non-professional licence (21+ for professional, which Pathao/Uber riders need), with at least a class 8 pass and an NID. Roughly 4-9 months end to end (2-3 months practice/test wait + 3-4 months card printing); temporary authorisation lets you ride legally meanwhile.

Step by step

1. 1

   Create BSP account

   Register on bsp.brta.gov.bd with your NID; set division/district/thana (decides your BRTA circle).

2. 2

   Apply for learner licence

   Upload photo, medical certificate, NID, utility bill, education certificate; pay Tk 518 (1 category) or Tk 748 (2 categories) online; print learner licence immediately.

3. 3

   Practise and sit the test

   On the scheduled date: biometrics, then written, oral and field test. BikeBD reports test dates are usually 3-6 months out (sometimes earlier).

4. 4

   Apply for smart card

   Upload learner licence with pass seal, pay Tk 4,497 (non-professional, 10 yr) or Tk 2,772 (professional, 5 yr) + Tk 60 postage online. Bank-counter payment is no longer accepted.

5. 5

   Ride on temporary authorisation

   After approval print the auto-generated Temporary Authorization slip from BSP and carry it (laminated) until the card arrives.

6. 6

   Receive smart card by post

   Delivered to your address; BikeBD reports processing usually takes 3-4 months. Police verification currently not required.

Most showrooms advertise 0% EMI: the bike's price split into equal monthly payments on a partner bank's credit card, usually for 3, 6 or 12 months. Longer plans (18–36 months) exist but normally carry interest. This is how Suggest.Bike shows “/month” — the ex-showroom price divided by 12.

• You need a credit card from a partner bank with enough limit for the whole price.
• Banks may charge a processing fee, and some showrooms drop cash discounts for EMI buyers — ask for the price both ways.
• Registration (BRTA) is usually paid upfront in cash, not on EMI.
• No credit card? Some dealers run their own installment plans with a down payment — read the paper for the total you'll pay.

Terms differ by bank and change often. Ask the showroom which cards qualify this month, and check your card's EMI page before buying.

Registration: BRTA registers motorcycles up to 375cc only if manufactured/assembled in Bangladesh (Road Transport & Highways Division decision, Oct 2023). Fully built (CBU) imports: historically capped at 165cc. Local manufacturers may import parts/machinery to build up to 500cc.

1. until early 2000s

   No engine capacity restriction

2. early 2000s

   Cap of 150cc introduced (security concerns about fast bikes); later raised to 165cc

3. 2018-2022

   165cc cap on sale/registration; industry lobbied for higher; 2018 motorcycle industry policy

4. 2022-2023

   Govt approved local manufacture up to 500cc (e.g. Kawasaki via Asian Motorbikes); Royal Enfield 350cc local assembly by IFAD

5. 2023-10-11

   Locally made motorcycles up to 375cc allowed to be registered and ridden

6. 2026-08-24

   Import Policy Order 2026-2029 issued (valid to 31 Dec 2029). Reports CONFLICT on motorcycles: Dhaka Times (25 Aug 2026) says CBU import up to 375cc is now allowed; Desh Rupantor (26 Aug 2026) and Bangla Tribune say the final order kept the >165cc CBU import ban (police exempt) despite the draft proposing 375cc.

Bottom line: bikes up to 375cc that are assembled in Bangladesh — like Royal Enfield's 350s from IFAD's Cumilla plant — can be registered. Fully imported (CBU) bikes above 165cc are legally murky right now — get the dealer to confirm registrability in writing.

Most used-bike horror stories in Bangladesh are paper problems, not engine problems. Go through this list before any money changes hands.

1. 1

   Match the blue book / DRC to the seller

   The name on the Registration Certificate (old blue book) or Digital Registration Certificate must match the seller's NID. If not, the seller isn't the legal owner - insist on transfer from the registered owner.

2. 2

   Check chassis and engine numbers

   Compare the chassis (frame) number stamped on the steering head and the engine number on the crankcase with the DRC. Look for re-stamping, grinding marks, fresh paint or welding around the numbers.

3. 3

   Verify registration and dues online

   Use the BRTA Service Portal (bsp.brta.gov.bd) dues/fees lookup by registration number to confirm the bike exists in BRTA records and see unpaid tax-token/fees. Match the RFID number plate to the DRC.

4. 4

   Tax token validity

   Check the tax token expiry. Unpaid years plus the one-time Tk 1,150 Financial Assistance Fund (if not paid) will become your bill. Bikes that completed 10 years of road tax only need a Tk 23 'tax-free' token every 5 years.

5. 5

   Loan / hire-purchase clearance

   If the DRC shows a bank/leasing hire-purchase entry, get the lender's loan-clearance letter; BRTA won't transfer without it (hire-purchase removal fee Tk 1,000 per 2022 rules).

6. 6

   Ownership transfer at BRTA

   Seller signs TTO form and sales receipt (Tk 10 revenue stamp) and a sale affidavit with photo; buyer signs TO + TTO forms, a buyer affidavit on non-judicial stamp (BikeBD: Tk 300), specimen signature form with 3 stamp photos; attach original DRC/blue book and both NIDs; pay fee and apply via BSP. BikeBD's (older, 2014-based) figure is Tk 2,665 if already on digital registration; confirm current fee on BSP before paying.

7. 7

   Accident damage signs

   Look for bent/re-welded frame, misaligned handlebar vs front wheel, uneven fork tubes or oil leaks from fork seals, scraped bar ends/levers/footpegs, mismatched or new paint on only some panels, and pulling to one side on a straight test ride.

8. 8

   Flood / water damage signs

   Check for silt or rust inside the headlight, tail lamp, under the seat and in switch housings; corroded wiring connectors; milky engine oil; rust on fasteners that should be clean. Dhaka monsoon waterlogging makes this common.

9. 9

   Odometer tampering

   Compare odometer to wear: worn footpeg rubbers, seat foam, grips, chain/sprocket condition, brake disc lip. Ask for service-centre records (authorised service centres log km). Digital clusters can also be reset.

10. 10

    Mechanical test ride

    Cold start, idle stability, smoke colour, clutch slip, gear engagement, brake feel and ABS (if fitted), electrical items. Ride long enough to warm up.

11. 11

    Legal ride-away

    Don't ride the bike until the transfer is filed in your name and you hold a valid licence; carry DRC, tax token and licence (or temporary authorisation).

Third-party motor insurance was compulsory under the Motor Vehicles Ordinance 1983 but became optional under the Road Transport Act 2018 (in effect from Nov 2019; abolished in practice Dec 2020). Cabinet approved in principle (12 Mar 2024) an amendment to make it mandatory again with a fine up to Tk 3,000, but as of Feb 2026 it is still not mandatory. IDRA relaunched third-party cover as 'Motor Liability Insurance' on a one-year pilot from Aug 2025.