Format of Vehicle registration number plates of India

Private and Commercial Vehicles

The current registration format for both private and commercial vehicles was implemented on July 1, 1989, under the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988. This format comprises four main components:


Private and Commercial Vehicle Number Plates
Private and Commercial Vehicle Number Plates

Part 1: Two-Letter State Codes: These two letters denote the state or union territory where the vehicle is registered.

Part 2: District Number: A two-digit number assigned to a district within the respective state or union territory. Due to high registration volumes, multiple RTO offices within a district may be allocated unique numbers.

Part 3: Single or Multiple Letters: This section consists of one, two, or three letters, or may be absent altogether. It indicates the ongoing series of an RTO and/or vehicle classification. To avoid confusion with digits, the letters 'O' and 'I' are excluded.

Part 4: Unique Number (1-9999): An issued sequential number unique to each registration, ranging from 1 to 9999.

This format offers the advantage of immediate identification of the vehicle's state and district. This can be particularly beneficial in scenarios such as police investigations, as witnesses often recall the initial characters of a vehicle's registration.

VA (Vintage) series

On July 15, 2021, a notification was issued by the Ministry of Road Transport regarding a specialized registration procedure for vintage vehicles. This initiative aims to grant exemptions from various pollution and scrappage regulations, thereby promoting the preservation of vintage vehicle heritage. To qualify for this registration process, a vehicle must meet the following criteria:

  • It must be a two-wheeler or car, falling under categories L1, L2, or M1.
  • The vehicle must have been registered for more than 50 years.
  • It must be maintained in its original form.
However, registration under the vintage series imposes restrictions on the vehicle's usage. It may only be utilized for specific purposes on public roads, such as vintage car rallies, and cannot be used for generic private or commercial activities.

The VA-series registration follows a unique format, consisting of four components:

  1. The first part comprises the standard two-letter State Codes, indicating the state or union territory of registration, as in the regular registration of private or commercial vehicles.
  2. The second part includes the characters 'VA', abbreviated for 'Vintage'.
  3. The third part features a two-letter sequence starting from 'AA', followed by 'AB', and so forth. The letters 'O' and 'I' are excluded to prevent confusion with the digits 0 or 1.
  4. Finally, the fourth part comprises a unique number between 1 and 9999, following the same pattern as in regular registration.

BH (Bharat) series

On August 26, 2021, the Ministry of Road Transport issued a notification regarding the implementation of a unified pan-India registration system for private vehicles. This specialized registration process was introduced to simplify inter-state mobility by eliminating the complexities associated with re-registering a vehicle when its owner relocates to a new state or Union Territory.

The BH-series registration follows a distinct format and is available to public sector employees of central and state governments, as well as private sector employees of companies with offices in four or more states or union territories.

The format for BH-series registration comprises four components:

Bharat Series Number Plates
Bharat Series Number Plates


  1. The first part is a two-digit number representing the last two digits of the registration year. For instance, '22' indicates a vehicle registered in 2022.
  2. The second part is 'BH', which stands for Bharat.
  3. The third part is a randomly assigned number between 1 and 9999, unique to each registration.
  4. The fourth part consists of one or two letters, starting from 'A', followed by 'B', and so forth. The letters 'O' and 'I' are excluded to prevent confusion with the digits 0 or 1.

Vehicles of Consulate/Diplomats

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs oversees the registration process for vehicles belonging to foreign missions. The registration format for these vehicles comprises three components:

Consulate/Diplomat Number Plates
Consulate/Diplomat Number Plates


  1. The first part is a unique number assigned to the foreign mission by the Ministry of External Affairs.
  2. The second part consists of two characters, which can be:
  • 'CD', representing corps diplomatique, indicating that the vehicle is registered to an embassy.
  • 'CC', representing corps consulaire, indicating that the vehicle is registered to a consulate.
  • 'UN', indicating that the vehicle is registered to one of the UN missions.

       3. The third part is a sequentially issued number ranging between 1 and 9999, unique to each                   mission and registration. The number '1' is reserved for the vehicle(s) used by the head of the                   respective foreign mission, such as an ambassador. To distinguish between multiple vehicles                   used by the head of mission, a suffix is added, such as '1A', '1B', and so forth.

Vehicles associated with foreign missions are granted diplomatic or consular immunity corresponding to their attribution by the Ministry of External Affairs. However, this immunity is void if a UN, CD, or CC vehicle is driven in the absence of an accredited member of the diplomatic or consular corps.

Vehicles of Indian Armed Forces 

The registration of vehicles belonging to the Indian Armed Forces (Army, Navy, and Air Force) is managed internally by the armed forces themselves. The registration format for these vehicles consists of five components:

Armed Forces Vehicle Number Plates
Armed Forces Vehicle Number Plates


  1. The first (or third) character is represented by an upward-pointing arrow, known as a Broad Arrow. Originating from the UK Office of Ordnance, it is still utilized in various parts of the British Commonwealth for assorted army items, including vehicles.
  2. The next two digits (or the two following the arrow) signify the last two digits of the year when the armed forces procured the vehicle. For instance, '22' indicates a vehicle procured in 2022.
  3. The third part is denoted by a single letter indicating the type or class of vehicle:
    • A: Two-wheel Vehicle (e.g., motorcycles)
    • B: Four-wheel Vehicle (e.g., passenger cars)
    • C: Truck (Up to 3 tonnes) or pick-up trucks
    • D: Truck (More than 3 tonnes)
    • E: Multi-Axle 6x6 or 8x8 vehicle
    • F: Specialist Light Vehicle (e.g., Light Strike Vehicle)
    • G: Trailer
    • H: High Mobility Vehicle (HMV) (e.g., Tata LPTA 2038 6x6)
    • K: Ambulance
    • P: Bus, Fire Truck, Tanker, Recovery Vehicle, etc.
    • R: Missile launcher
    • X: Armoured or Combat Vehicle (e.g., tank, armoured personnel carrier)
       4. The fourth part comprises a six-digit serial number unique to each registration. 
       5. The fifth and final part is represented by a check letter, which serves as a verification measure.

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