All motorised road vehicles are tagged with a registration or licence number in India. The licence plate (commonly known as number plates) number is issued by the district-level Regional Transport Office (RTO) of respective states — the main authority on road matters. The licence plates are placed in the front and back of the vehicle. By law, all plates are required to be in modern Hindu-Arabic numerals with Latin letters.^[1] Other guidelines include having the plate lit up at night and the restriction of the fonts that could be used. In some states such as Sikkim, cars bearing outside plates are barred from entering restricted areas.

Plates for private car and two-wheeler owners have a lettering (e.g., PY 01 A 0001). Commercial vehicles such as taxis and trucks have a yellow background and black text (e.g., DL 2C 0001). Vehicles belonging to foreign consulates have white lettering on a light blue background (e.g. 22 UN 14^[2]). The President of India and state governors travel in official cars without licence plates. Instead they have the Emblem of India in gold embossed on a red plate.

The current format of the registration index consists of 3 parts

• The first two letters indicate the state to which the vehicle is registered.
• The next two digit numbers are the sequential number of a district. Due to heavy volume of vehicle registration, the numbers were given to the RTO offices of registration as well.
• The third part is a 4 digit number unique to each plate. A letter(s) is prefixed when the 4 digit number runs out and then two letters and so on.

This scheme of numbering has some advantages:

• the State or District of registration of a particular vehicle
• In the case of a police investigation of an accident or vehicle-related crime, witnesses usually remember the initial area code letters — it is then quite simple to narrow down suspect vehicles to a much smaller number by checking the database without having to know the full number.

In some states (such as the union territory of Delhi, and the state of Gujarat) the initial 0 of the district code is omitted; thus Delhi district 2 numbers appear as DL 2 not DL 02.

The National Capital Territory of Delhi has an additional code in the registration code:

Where DL is the two letter code for Delhi (DL). The additional C (for category of vehicle) is the letter 'S' for two-wheelers, 'C' for cars and SUVs, 'P' for public passenger vehicles such as buses, 'R' for three-wheeled rickshaws, 'T' for tourist licenced vehicles and taxis, 'V' for pick-up trucks and vans and 'Y' for hire vehicles. Thus a Delhi-specific example is:

All Indian states and Union Territories have their own two-letter code. This two-letter referencing came into action in the 1980s. Before that each district or Regional Transport Officer's office had a three-letter code which did not mention the state. This led to a fair degree of confusion — for example, MMC 8259 could fit in anywhere in the country. To avoid this ambiguity the state code was included along with the district or RTO's office. In some states, such as Maharashtra, licence plates before 1960, when the state was known as Bombay Presidency, bear notations such as BMC.

The newly created states of Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand (from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar respectively), are registering vehicles under their new two-letter codes, while the old numbers registered in the RTO offices of these states under the RTO code of the parent state still stay valid. In 2007, the state of Uttaranchal was renamed Uttarakhand, thus the state code changed from UA to UK.

The Government of India, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the nodal ministry, has formulated strict specifications and enforcement rules for the new High Security Registration Plates (new number plates). The states have recently started introducing them in a phased manner. This standardisation, along with strict enforcement, is expected to bring about a change in law enforcement and in the registration process of vehicles in the country.

The list of two-lettered state codes is as follows:

Since all the states have two or more districts, the district is given the charge of registering the vehicle. A vehicle bears the registration of the district in which it is bought rather than the district of residence of the owner. In many states, officials insist that the plates be changed to the local numbers if the owner shifts residence.

The number of districts in the state need not equal the number of permutations of the district field of the licence plate. Often, in large cities the geographical district can be split into two or more administered regions, each governed by an RTO. A case is the Mumbai Suburban district which has the plate bearings MH-02 and MH-03. Also the 01' digit may reflect the capital district of the state, though it may not always be the case.

In some states such as West Bengal, each RTO issues two numbers, one for commercial vehicles and another for private vehicles. E.g. Kalimpong has the numbers WB-79 for private vehicles and WB-78 for commercial or public ones.

The last four digits numbers are unique to the vehicle. Usually, the lower 100 numbers are government registered numbers, but it may not always be the case. Special lucky numbers such as 3333 or 6666 fetch a premium and may touch above rupees 1,00,000.

Prior to 2005 Karnataka used to charge Rs 1000 for obtaining a unique last four digit number. These numbers used to be issued either from the current running series or from one or two future series. When the numbering system was computerised numbers could be issued from any future series. However the Karnataka RTO steeply hiked these charges to Rs 6000 if the number to be obtained is in the current series, and Rs 25,000 if it was to be issued from a future series. It was increased again in 2010 from Rs 6,000 to Rs 20,000, and from Rs 25,000 to Rs 75,000.^[3]

As of 2007, Maharashtra has increased the price of unique numbers to the range of Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 1,25,000.

If all the 9999 numbers are used up, the RTO adds the letter 'A before the number space so that more numbers can be accommodated. In some states, the two letters also give the description of the make of the vehicle. E.g. In Mumbai, MH-01 AA would point to a two-wheeler; whereas MH-01 CA is a small car. MH-01 J **** and MH-01 X **** are taxis.

The letters may also reflect the subdivision of the district if the district is geographically large.

In Tamil Nadu, the letter G is reserved for Government (both the Union Government of India and State Governments) vehicles and the letter N is reserved for Government Transport Buses. For e.g. TN 69 G 3333 could be a government vehicle registered in Thoothukudi District, whereas a TN 72 N 2222 could be a government Bus registered in Tirunelveli District.

In Andhra Pradesh, the letter Z is reserved for the State Road Transport (APSRTC) buses (AP9Z,AP10Z, AP11Z, AP28Z). The letter P (AP 9P — Khairatabad RTO) is reserved for the state police vehicles.

In Kerala, the number series KL 15 is reserved for the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses. For e.g. KL 15 3431 is an Ashok Leyland KSRTC bus with vehicle code TS-340.

Karnataka started number series KA 01 AA 1111 from 1 January 1990. While issuing these numbers they reserved the "AA" for certain categories of vehicles. Numbers issued without AA e.g. KA 01 1111 was for commercial vehicles, E for two wheelers and M for cars. The letter G is reserved for Government vehicles, F for KSRTC and BMTC buses, T for Tractor and trailer. The letters I and O,were never issued. In all cases when the last number 9999 number is exhausted the next letter is used for that vehicle category. So A to D for commercial vehicles, E, H, J to L, Q to S, U to Y for two wheelers M, N, P, Z for private vehicles. Additional letters are added as each series is exhausted e.g. M, MA, F FA and so on.

In Madhya Pradesh the Numbering System is similar to other states, with a few exceptions. MP-01, and MP-02 are reserved for the state government, while MP-03 is reserved for the police. Other vehicles are registered in RTOs starting from MP-04.In Madhya Pradesh vehicles used in agricultural purpose are numbered with series A eg AA, AB, AC etc. Big cars by BA, BB. small cars by C, special purpose vehicle such as ambulance crane by D. medium size goods vehicle by G. hevy vehicles by H. small loading vehicle by L. motor cycles by M. passanger busses by P. passanger auto by R. Scooter by S and taxis by T. When a series is exhausted or reaches MZ rto can start any othr series. For example Bhopal adopted AM, DM, EM following M while Indore started NA, NB , NC, and so on...

In Goa, the letter X is reserved for the State Road Transport (Kadamba Transport Corporation) buses (e.g. GA 03 X 0109).

On June 1, 2005, the Government of India had amended rule 50 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, mandating introduction of new tamper proof High Security Registration (HSRP) number plates.^[4][5] All new motorised road vehicles that came into the market after that needed to adhere to the new plates, while existing vehicles had been given two years to comply. Features incorporated include the number plate having a patented chromium hologram,^[4] a laser numbering containing the alpha-numeric identification of both the testing agency and manufacturers and a retro-reflective film bearing a verification inscription "India" at a 45-degree inclination. The characters are embossed on the plate for better visibility. The letters "IND" were printed in a light shade of blue on the observers left side under the hologram.^[4] However it has yet to be implemented since the various state Governments has not yet appointed an official source for manufacture of these plates,^[6] due to a disputes which is currently in various Indian courts.^[5][6] On 8 April 2011 the Supreme Court of India summoned the transport secretaries of Delhi, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh for contempt of court proceedings regarding non enforcement of the high security registration plates.^[7] The Supreme Court on 30 November 2004, had clarified that all states had to comply with the scheme.^[7] Currently Meghalaya, Sikkim and Goa are the only three states which have complied in full. The states of Tripura, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala have not proceed after having called tenders.^[7] Besides these states none of the other states have taken any action to implement the new scheme.^[7] However in WestBengal, Only one RTO Office (Beltola)is currently issuing these HSRP, though talks are on to introduce these HSRP with other RTO offices also. Madhya pradesh also plan to start this from 1 April 2012.

Military vehicles have a unique numbering system unlike any other licence numbers. The numbers are registered by the Ministry of Defence in New Delhi. The first (or the third) character is always an arrow pointing upwards, this prevents the number being read wrongly in case the plate (and/or the vehicle bearing it) is upside down. The next two digits (or the two preceding the arrow) signify the year in which the Military procured the vehicle. The next is the base code, followed by the serial number. The letter ending after the serial number indicates the class of the vehicle.

Vehicle belonging to foreign missions bear the plates UN, CD or CC, which stand for United Nations, Diplomatic Corps or Consular Corps respectively. A diplomatic plate numbered 13 CC xxxx would refer to country 13, probably a country close to the letter A or B. For example, a vehicle bearing the number 77 CD xxxx in India refers to a vehicle owned by either the United States mission in India or by a person working with the mission. As per international law cars bearing these licence plates enjoy diplomatic immunity.,

Other numbering include the special numbers allotted to public transportation such as buses, taxis and auto-rickshaws. The numbers are registered by the organization which run the services and are usually printed on the side of the vehicle. This mechanism is used for unique identification.

As soon as a vehicle is purchased, the dealer of the vehicle issues a temporary licence sticker known colloquially as a TR (To Register) number. This is valid for one month, during which the owner must register the vehicle in the controlling RTO of the area in which the owner is residing to get a standard licence plate. Some states like Tamil Nadu do not allow vehicles with TR numbers on the road, the dealer will hand over the vehicle to the purchaser only after the registration process is done. To register a vehicle, it has to be presented to the RTO's office, where a Motor Vehicle Inspector will verify the applicant's address and other details, confirm that the engine and chassis numbers are identical to what is written in the application and issues a permanent registration certificate which is usually valid for 20 years. The permanent registration certificate is one of the four important documents a vehicle plying on the road should always have; the others being a valid insurance certificate, a pollution under control (PUC) certificate and the driver's licence. For public utility vehicles like buses, trucks, taxis and pick-up vans, there are a number of additional documents like a road-worthiness certificate and a transportation permit.

Until the late 1980s (June 30, 1989)', the Indian licence plate system followed the scheme

Where S was the state code (e.g. C for Karnataka since K was allotted to Kerala); AA were letters of the specific RTO; and 1111 was the unique licence plate number. Older vehicles still exhibit this legally valid numbering scheme.

In the early 2000s, the number plate colouring scheme changed from white over black (SAA 1111) to black over white (SAA 1111) for private non-commercial vehicles, and from black over white (SAA 1111) to black over yellow (SAA 1111) for all other vehicles. The usage of the older colour scheme was made illegal after a period during which both styles were tolerated.

When Madhya Pradesh was known as Central Province, all vehicle license plates began with,

• CPZ — For All Government vehicles
• CPP — Central Province Police
• CPX — where "X" represented the district code (for example, vehicles registered in Jabalpur had a registration plate starting with CPJ)

When renamed to Madhya Pradesh,

• MPZ — For All Government vehicles
• MPP — Madhya Pradesh Police
• MPX — where "X" represented the district (for example, vehicles registered in Jabalpur had a registration plate starting with MPJ)

• Transport in India
• List of RTO districts in India
• Driving licence in India

• List of two-letter codes
• Government of Tamil Nadu - State Transport Authority
• Road Safety in India
• Ministry of Road transport and Highways
• List of RTO districts in India

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