All vehicles (four-wheelers and two-wheelers) must be registered with the RTO by The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (Regional Transport Office). Driving an unregistered vehicle on a public road is against the law and can result in severe penalties. All registered vehicles must also have license plates that contain the vehicle’s registration number. It is frequently referred to as the High-Security Registration Plates license plate (HSRP).
The number plate in India is an essential component of the car since it accomplishes two things:
The Motor Vehicle Act of 1988 mandates that all motorized vehicles traveling on Indian highways register with a Regional Transport Office (RTO) and show a number plate. The RTO of the relevant state issues license plates, which must be fastened at the front and rear of the vehicle with clear visibility. We can see number plates with varying patterns and colours. Including those in white, yellow, or green, you might have noticed vehicles with colourful license plates.
Following are the signs of various number plate patterns.
The most popular kind of registration number plate is a white number plate with black text. These license plates are only used on private vehicles. In other words, these vehicles are not allowed to be utilized for passenger or cargo transportation for hire.
The text on the yellow license plates is black. These number plates are only allowed for commercial use. It is advised that a commercial driver’s license is required for the driver to operate such vehicles. A commercial driving license is required for drivers of commercial vehicles, including taxis, trucks, and cabs. Vehicles with yellow license plates exist solely to transport people and goods.
As we are all aware, technology has made electric cars more prevalent. Verify that any green-themed license plates you come across on the road are for electric vehicles. These can be installed on electric buses and commercial vehicles that are permitted to drive on public roads. The number plate with the white characters against a green background is assigned to private-use automobiles. Despite having green license plates with yellow letters, it is acceptable to operate the car for business purposes.
The red license plate indicates that the new vehicle is still awaiting the arrival of a permanent vehicle registration plate (issued by the RTO). Regarding temporary license plates for autos, each state has its unique laws. In actuality, certain Indian states restrict driving a car with temporary license plates. The red license plate has white writing. State governors drive cars with plain red license plates.
The authorized authorities issue a blue license plate with white letters for a vehicle reserved for foreign ambassadors. These license plates feature the letters UN (United Nations), CC (Consular Corps), and DC (Diplomatic Corps). These license plates feature the diplomat’s country code rather than a state code.
For upscale hotel transportation, black license plates are particularly prevalent. Additionally, these cars can be used for business and driven on public roads without requiring a commercial driver’s license. Self-driving and rented vehicles are allowed to use black license plates. These license plates have a black background with yellow writing. Most of the cars at opulent hotels have these license plates. Although these vehicles are used for business purposes, drivers do not need a commercial driving license to operate them.
If you paid close attention, you could have seen that a military vehicle’s license plate includes an upward-pointing arrow. The Ministry of Defence is the rightful owner of the numbers seen on these license plates. This type of license plate is known as a Broad Arrow when it has the first and third upward-pointing arrows. These upward-pointing arrows are widely used throughout the British Commonwealth. The year that the military vehicle was bought is indicated by the two numbers that come after the arrow. The base code immediately follows the serial number. The penultimate letter of the license number designates the vehicle’s class.
The Indian flag is stamped in golden colour on this very unique type of license plate.
Alphanumeric characters are combined to form a new number plate in India. If you are unfamiliar with the meanings of the alphabet and numerals on the license plate, reading it may be difficult. Let’s use an example registration number to better comprehend the parts of a number plate. The specifics of the various parts of a license plate are listed below.
A number plate’s first two letters identify the area or state where the vehicle is registered. A number plate will display MH, for instance, if a car is registered with the Maharashtra RTO. Two more numbers represent the district in which the car is registered. A special alpha-numeric combination code appears after the digits (often four) on the license plate. Vanity numbers like 1111, and 0001 are available through RTO auctions for a fee. The number plate’s tail displays India’s international registration code (IND).
All motorized vehicles operating on Indian highways are required to have an RTO registration and a functional license plate, by the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988. To prevent fraud and clear up any misunderstandings, the Ministry of Roads and Highways (MoRTH) has modified several of the regulations governing the car registration plate. After the 1989 amendment, the regulations were modified. The adjustments that took effect on October 1st, 2020 are listed below.
As the name implies, a temporary vehicle registration plate is given to a newly purchased vehicle that has not yet been registered by the appropriate RTO. The temporary registration number plate has a one-month validity period. All temporary registration plates will have color-coded alpha-numerals according to the vehicle type, per the most recent MoRTH guidelines.
Section 39 of the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988 mandates all vehicle owners obtain their permanent registration number from the relevant RTO before using their vehicle on Indian roads. Every vehicle has an identification number known as a permanent registration number.
All vehicles registered after April 1, 2019, must show a High-security registration plate or (HSRP). All vintage automobiles with vintage license plates must adhere to these new criteria. Under the Ashok Chakra hologram and the International Registration Code of India, a unique laser-etched code is inscribed into the metal of the high-security registration plate (IND). Additionally, this license plate incorporates snap locks that render it useless in the event of tampering. High-security license plates are the norm in India and are designed to store a digital record of every registered car.
With fancy license plates, you may personalize the font and size of the number plate that appears on your car. However, before choosing exotic number plates, be sure to educate yourself on the new regulations governing the personalized option.
A registration number and license plate are required for all motor vehicles operating on public highways under The Motor Vehicles Act of 1988. The key guidelines for license plates are shown below.
The process of registering a new car must be completed to get a number plate. When you purchase a new vehicle, the dealer will handle the registration and number plate ordering procedures. However, you can follow the instructions listed below if you want to register the new car on your own.
You can get a number plate once you have the registration number (HSRP). The HSRP license plate is available for purchase from the RTO or any other RTO-approved vendor.
The registration number is issued by the district-level RTO of the relevant state or union territory, as was previously mentioned. Depending on where the registration is made, the number plate’s components change. The state or union territory code appears in the first two letters, followed by the RTO (district) code. Your vehicle’s unique code is the next six characters (two alphabets, four numerals).
As in KA01AB1234
Here, the state code (Karnataka) is KA, the RTO (district) code is 01, and the unique alphanumeric code for the vehicle is AB1234.
In the beginning, the alphanumeric code spans the ranges A 0001 to 9999. The alphabetically following characters are A, B, C, and so forth. Once all the characters have been used, the sequence starts with just two characters: AA 0001 to 9999. Once all the numbers under the two-character combination (AA) have been used, the three-character sequence (AAA) starts.
India’s states and union territories each have their special two-letter code. This two-letter referencing has been in use since the 1980s. Each district or regional transport officer’s office historically had a three-letter code without the state. The newly created states of Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Telangana (from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Andhra Pradesh, respectively) are registering cars under their new two-letter codes, but the older numbers registered in the RTO offices of these states under the RTO code of the parent state are still valid. In 2007, when Uttaranchal was renamed Uttarakhand, the state abbreviation changed from UA to the UK. The state code changed from OR to OD in 2011 when the state of Orissa was renamed Odisha.
The new High-Security Registration Plates include strict specifications and enforcement rules set by the Body of Road Transport and Highways, the relevant ministry of the Indian Government (new number plates). The states only recently started phasing them in. Due to this standardization and stringent enforcement, changes to law enforcement and the country’s auto registration process are anticipated.
The final four digits of each vehicle’s number plate, which come in several varieties in India, are distinctive. People will fix expensive, costing up to 1,000,00,000, fancy numbers like 6666 or 3333.
Delhi district 2 numbers show as DL 2 rather than DL 02. This is because the initial 0 of the district code is deleted in several states (including Delhi and previously Gujarat and Bihar).
The registration code for Delhi, a union territory, has an additional code: DL 9 CAA 1111, where DL is the two-letter code for Delhi (DL). S denotes two-wheelers, C denotes cars and SUVs, E denotes electric vehicles (in some circumstances only), P denotes public passenger vehicles like buses, R denotes three-wheeled rickshaws, T denotes taxis and cars with a tourist license, V denotes pick-up trucks and vans, and Y denotes vehicles used for hiring. This approach is applicable to further states. (For instance, P stands for passenger vehicles, C for cars, S for scooters, and G for freight vehicles in Rajasthan, where RJ is the two-letter code.), M for a milk truck, A for an ambulance, and P for the police.
A brand-new vehicle receives a temporary number plate from the dealer. You may use it up until you register the car at the relevant RTO. It is a temporary registration number, as the name implies. The temporary license plate has a 30-day validity period. A temporary registration number plate will include color-coded lettering based on the type of vehicle, by the new number plate regulations.
Yes, driving a car without a license plate is prohibited in India. If you operate a car without a license plate, you may run into problems. Consequently, it is advised to operate a vehicle with a number plate.
The HSRP license plate is a tamper-proof aluminium plate. The Central Motor Vehicles Rule 1989 mandates that all vehicles registered after April 1, 2019, have High-Security Registration Plates (HSRP). The same is true for vintage vehicles with out-of-date license plates.
A unique laser-etched code may be found on the HSRP beneath the international registration code (IND) and Ashoka Chakra hologram. The license plate is both hot-stamped and snap-locked. It loses its usability if it is tampered with. HSRPs, which are only given by RTOs, can help stop car theft.
Following document verification by the RTO, you can expect to get your license plate in 10 to 12 days. Once the license plate is ready, you can have it put at the dealership or the RTO that is closest to you.
Typically, the license plate you get will depend on your car dealer, the area you live in, and the type of plate you choose. However, the cost of a license plate for a car might be between Rs. 1000 and Rs. 2000, and it can be between Rs. 400 and Rs. 1000 for a two-wheeler.
A vehicle’s unique identification is shown by higher security registration plates. It, therefore, avoids a vehicle from being stolen and used improperly. After being removed from the vehicle, HSRP is unrecoverable. Contact RTO to request a replacement HSRP if the original is damaged.
No. In India, a single vehicle is given a single number plate code by the Regional Transport Office (RTO). A similar vehicle cannot have two number plates.
India’s abbreviation, IND, is a crucial component of High-Security Number Plates. The IND license plate represents India’s international registration code. In India, it is located on some types of number plates beneath the hologram. The Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 were amended in 2005 to provide this capability.
