Number plate number is identification of the vehicle. But on the basis of color of number plate , there are different types of number plates in India and it signifies meaning . When you cross a red light or have an accident, this is a identification number for a motor vehicle. The traffic department will verify your information through your number plate only. A name to a human, is what a number plate is to a vehicle. Number plates are fixed on the front and rear of each vehicle.
Types of number plates in India
The road vehicles having motors in India have a unique registration or licence number.
The Regional Transport Office (RTO) in each state issues the number plate number, which are also known as High Security Registration Plates (HSRPs).
Currently, there are 8 different types of number plates in India:
- White number plate– These are the normal number plates. These are for personal use.
- Yellow number plate– These are used for commercial uses only and cannot be used for personal uses. Additionally, the driver should also have a commercial driving permit to drive the vehicle.
- Green number plate– They are used for electric cars and buses.
- Red number plate– It is a temporary number plate for a brand-new car. It is valid for 1 month only, after which the owner shall need to have a permanent number plate. But some states do not issue temporary number plate.
- Blue number plate– It is issued to vehicles of foreign diplomats only. It shall contain letters like CC (Consular Corps) & UN (United Nations). The number plate shall contain the country code of the diplomat and not the state code.
- Black number plate– They are number plates of ‘A’ level luxury hotel transport vehicles.
- Number plate with an upward-pointing arrow- It is for military vehicles.
- Red number plate with the emblem of India – The President of India and the State Governors previously used the red number plate with the emblem of India.
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HSRP number plate or High Security number plate
What about unique numbers?
In the different types of number plates in India the last 4 digits is unique to each vehicle. People shall fix fancy numbers such as 3333 or 6666 and those will be costly, at around ₹1,00,000 or more.
- Karnataka in 2005, used to charge ₹1000 for obtaining a unique last 4-digit number. Currently it is at around ₹75,000.
- Maharashtra in 2012increased the price from ₹1,25,000 to ₹2,00,000.
- Uttarakhand for the numbers 0001 and 0786 has the highest charge of ₹50,000.
- Gujarat charges ₹1000 for 2-wheeler vehicles and ₹5000 for 4-wheeler vehicles.
- Andhra Pradesh follows the Auction system to distribute the number plate. The highest bidder gets the number plate. Numbers like 0909 0999 0099 0009are in huge demand and fetches maximum bidders for the auction.
Number Plates for Special Vehicles in India
In India, some vehicles have special privileges. That includes Military Vehicles, and President Vehicles.
- Military vehicles:
They have a unique numbering system unlike any other numbers system. The first character is an upward-pointing arrow -Broad Arrow.
- President:
The President of India and the State Governors used to travel in official cars without number plates, but they have the Emblem of India, in gold embossed on a red plate. But currently, they have normal plates like the citizens.
What is the State/UT codes in India?
Here are the state codes for types of number plates in India.
| State or Union Territory | Code |
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | AN |
| Andhra Pradesh | AP |
| Arunachal Pradesh | AR |
| Assam | AS |
| Bharat (India) | BH |
| Bihar | BR |
| Chandigarh | CH |
| Chhattisgarh | CG |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | DD |
| Delhi | DL |
| Goa | GA |
| Gujarat | GJ |
| Haryana | HR |
| Himachal Pradesh | HP |
| Jammu and Kashmir | JK |
| Jharkhand | JH |
| Karnataka | KA |
| Kerala | KL |
| Ladakh | LA |
| Lakshadweep | LD |
| Madhya Pradesh | MP |
| Maharashtra | MH |
| Manipur | MN |
| Meghalaya | ML |
| Mizoram | MZ |
| Nagaland | NL |
| Odisha | OD |
| Puducherry | PY |
| Punjab | PB |
| Rajasthan | RJ |
| Sikkim | SK |
| Tamil Nadu | TN |
| Telangana | TS |
| Tripura | TR |
| Uttar Pradesh | UP |
| Uttarakhand | UK |
| West Bengal | WB |
Note: The international vehicle registration code for India is IND.
New updates regarding types of number plates in India
High security registration plates (HSRP)-According to the Central Motor Vehicles Rule 1989, all registered vehicles on or after 1.4.2019 shall have a HSRP. Using aluminium, they manufacture HSRP. It contains a unique laser-etched code below the International Registration Code of India (IND) and a Ashok Chakra hologram.
- Snap-locks– Additionally, HSRP has snap-locks which does not become reusable, after an attempt to tamper it. HSRP is applicable all over India with a view to go digital totally.
- Fancy number plate-Fancy number plates enable your vehicle to bear a customized number plate in terms of font and size. However, before you opt for fancy number plates, make sure you learn about the new norms related to the personalized option. You can get it from parivahan website
That’s all about types of number plates in India.
Frequently Asked Question
How many types of Indian number plates are there?
There are 8 main types of vehicle number plates in India. The plates have different color schemes and lettering styles.
This helps identify what type of vehicle it is - private, commercial or two-wheeler. They are: White and Yellow number plate with black lettering. Green, Red, Blue, Black number plate with white lettering. Black number plate with yellow lettering and BH series
What is BH Number plate?
The BH series number plate has a format of XX BH YYYY ZZ, where: XX is a two-digit year of registration (e.g., 23 for 2023). BH is the code for Bharat Series. YYYY is a four-digit random alphanumeric code (e.g., 1234 or AB12). ZZ is a two-digit alphabetic code (e.g., AA or AB).
BH series has same road tax across all states and union territories, which is valid for two years at a time. It does not require re-registration when the owner moves to a different state.
Which is the VIP number plate in India?
There is no official term or category for VIP number plates in India. However, some people prefer to have fancy or attractive numbers on their plates, such as 0001, 1111, 9999, etc.
Which type of number plates are legal in India?
All the types of number plates mentioned above are legal in India, as long as they follow the rules and regulations.
What is new style number plate in India?
The new style number plate is the BH series number plate. Bharat Series is designed to simplify the process of vehicle registration for people who have transferable jobs and need to move from one state to another frequently.
satyam jain
can i write 0999 number as an 999.
Niranjana
No, you should write it as 0999 only.