Vehicle Number Plates

The Motor Vehicles Act of 1988 asserts that no vehicle must be allowed to be driven in public places in India unless it is registered by a registering authority. Upon successful completion of the registration process, each vehicle is assigned an official number plate. This number is unique and must always be clearly displayed in the front and rear ends of the vehicle.

Components of a Vehicle Number Plate

A vehicle number plate does not contain a collection of random number and alphabets. A specific format is followed while numbering the vehicles.

• The first part of a vehicle's number plate indicates the state or UT where it was registered. If a vehicle was registered in the state of West Bengal, the first two alphabets of its number plate would be ‘WB’. This system of denoting the state of registration in the number plate was initiated in the 1980s.

• After the first two alphabets, the next two digits refer to the district where the vehicle was registered. Each district has a unique code and at least one Regional Transport Office (RTO). The jurisdictional RTO in the applicant’s area of residence is in charge of registering the motor vehicle.

• The third part of the number plate is an alphanumeric assortment that is unique for each vehicle. Many applicants pay huge sums of money to get a custom-made vehicle number plate with the number of their choice.

• The fourth part of the number plate comprises an oval symbol with the letters ‘IND’ written in it to indicate that the vehicle is registered in India. This oval symbol contains a hologram made of chromium resembling a 'chakra' in High-Security Registration Plates (HSRP). This was introduced in 2005 with an aim to reduce the theft of vehicles.

Temporary Vehicle Number Plate

When customers purchase a new vehicle, they are issued a ‘To Register’ (TR) sticker. This sticker serves as a temporary registration number, which is provided by the registering authority. TR stickers are valid for a month, during which the vehicle is better not driven on roads as it might incur a huge fine. The owners of all new vehicles must follow the proper procedure to get their vehicles registered, by providing all the required documents. License numbers, once issued by the registering authority, are valid for 20 years.

Selling Unique Number Plates

The Regional Transport Offices sell unique number plates to owners of motor vehicles, who want their vehicle's number plate to stand out. For this, the RTOs typically conduct auctions for number plates that are deemed as lucky or have a huge demand. The bidding price for such numbers can reach as high as Rs.3 Lakh. It is very difficult for common citizens to get a vehicle number below 100 as they generally are reserved for government-owned vehicles.

Variation of Text in Vehicle Number Plates 

In certain Indian states, the first "0" of the district code in the vehicle number plate is replaced with an alphabet, used to indicate the category to which that particular vehicle belongs. This system is prevalent in Delhi. Here is a list of the alphabets and the category that they denote:

• C - cars & SUVs.

• S - two-wheelers

• E - electric vehicles

• P - passenger vehicles, i.e., buses

• R - three-wheeler rickshaws

• T - tourist licensed vehicles

• V - vans and pickup trucks

• Y - vehicles for hire

The Significance of the Color in Vehicle Number Plates

• White: All private vehicles have a white number plate with the text written in black. This indicates that such vehicles cannot be used for commercial purposes.

• Yellow: All commercial vehicles - whether a taxi or a truck - has a yellow number plate with characters written in black color. The drivers of such vehicles require a permit or a transport license from the registering authority to drive these vehicles.

• Blue: Vehicles used by foreign delegates have a blue license plate with the text written in white. Such number plates include the country code instead of the state code.

• Black: Self-drive cars have black number plates with the text written in yellow. It indicates that it is a commercial vehicle that is rented out to someone else to drive.

• Red: The President of India or the Governors of all the Indian states use vehicles with a Red license plate with the text embossed in Golden color.

• Green: The vehicles that run on electricity have a green background with the text in black.

• Upward Arrow: A separate number plate system exists for the military vehicles, in which the number begins with an arrow, followed by the year of manufacture instead of the state code.

These are interesting and important facts that all Indian drivers should know.