Vehicle Registration Details in India

In the case of two-wheelers, the vehicle's license plate displays specific vehicle registration information. The two letters at the start of the number plate represent the Indian state in which the car is registered. For example, KA stands for Karnataka, MH stands for Maharashtra, DL is for Delhi, AP stands for Andhra Pradesh, and so on. Following the state code, the next two numbers represent the RTO (Regional Transport Office) code where the vehicle was registered. The next four numbers on your license plate are your registration number. This number is always between 0001 and 9999. After all of the numbers in the range have been assigned, an alphabet is appended to the number, and the series is repeated.

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Important Facts Pertaining to Vehicle Registration Details in India

1. The certificate of vehicle registration is valid for a period of 15 years post, and it needs to be renewed in every 5 years. The registration would be renewed subject to vehicle inspection and roadworthiness.
2. A temporary two wheeler registration certificate is valid for one month. When the motor vehicle is a chassis and the vehicle's body is not attached, the registering authority may extend the validity.
3. The registration or renewal of registration of the vehicle can be denied if the registration authorities are not satisfied with the documents and details provided by the applicant and have a reason to believe that the vehicle is stolen or does not meet the required safety standards or emission norms.
4. The Vehicle registration done in any state in India done according to the rules and regulations as per the Motor Vehicles Act is valid and effective across all states and Union Territories in India.
5. A vehicle may be used in any other state without penalty for a maximum of 12 months, after which it must be re-registered in the state where it is used. For example, if your two-wheeler is registered in Karnataka and you relocate from Bangalore to Pune for any reason, you will need to re-register your vehicle in Pune and obtain the MH registration number after 12 months
6. For transfer of vehicle registration from one state to another, a No Objection Certificate (NOC) is required to be obtained from the RTO where your vehicle has been originally registered.

Registration Process for New Two Wheelers

The registration of a new vehicle involves inspection of the vehicle and its features such as the cubic capacity of the vehicle, type of vehicle (commuter/sportsbike/cruiser/superbike) and more. The important documents required to be submitted for vehicle registration are as follows:

1. Vehicle Registration Application Form Number 20
2. Form No. 21 and original sale certificate of the vehicle sold by the dealer received at the time of vehicle delivery.
3. Original invoice of vehicle purchase
4. The certificate of roadworthiness provided by the dealer or manufacturer at the time of delivery of vehicle in Form Number 22.
5. Valid Car Insurance or Two Wheeler Insurance document or the attested copy of insurance document
6. Duly signed Form No.34 if the vehicle has been purchased on hypothecation
7. Valid Residence proof
8. Custom Clearance Certificate for imported vehicles
9. Chassis Number Pencil Print
10. Certificate Of Fitness for Transport Vehicles
11. Duly filled Form Number 22 for Transport Vehicles
12. Vehicle registration fee
13. Special fee for registration of fancy number (if applicable)
14. Payment of applicable road tax
15. Passport size photographs
16. Proof of date of birth

The applicant will get a registration fee slip on the same day that the documents are submitted to the Registering and License Authority (RLA) and payments are paid. Until you receive your registration certificate, you can use the fee slip as proof of registration. After depositing the registration slip on any subsequent day, the certificate of registration can be obtained. Vehicle numbers are assigned to automobiles after the RLA has given its permission.

Documents Required for Re-registration of Vehicle

1. Application Form Number 20
2. NOC from the original vehicle registering authority in Form No. 28
3. NOC from the financer in case the vehicle has been purchased on a loan.
4. Residential proof
5. Fee Receipt
6. Valid Insurance document (attested copy)
7. Applicable fee for Token Tax and Re-Registration

In some Indian states, re-registration of a vehicle is subject to getting a clearance from the National Crime Record Bureau. Thankfully, the concerned transport department makes the required arrangements by themselves, and you do not have to apply for a clearance certificate separately. All private vehicles (cars, bikes, scooters and other vehicles for personal use) must be registered again after 15 years from the date of registration of the vehicle. The re-registration of the vehicle will make you eligible to ride or drive the vehicle for 5 more years without any hassles. However, the re-registration is subject to the inspection of the vehicle. The vehicle must be road-worthy and should meet the prescribed emission standards.

List of Application Forms Under Various Categories

Things to Know About Vehicle Registration Details in India

As per the regulations of the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988, a motorised vehicle in India cannot be used without a valid registration certificate. The motorised vehicles in India are assigned unique registration numbers based on the state and locality they are registered in. Vehicle registration numbers are issued by the Regional Transport Offices (RTO) in the respective state. All vehicles are bound to place vehicle number plates on the front and back of their vehicles. Here are some of the guidelines with respect to installing number plates.

1. Number plates are required to use modern Latin letters and Arabic numerals. There are other restrictions with respect to fonts as well.
2. Vehicle number plate should be lit up at night
3. In some states, vehicles bearing number plates from other states are barred from using the vehicles in restricted areas.

Format for Vehicle Details by Number Plates

1. Vehicle number plates for motorised two-wheelers and private cars should have black letters on a white background (Example: KA-03-HA-1985).
2. Vehicles for commercial use such as buses, taxis, and others should have black letters on a yellow background (Example: MH-19-AG-5465).
3. For commercial vehicles that are available on a rental basis for self-driving, the plates should have yellow letters on a black background (Example: AP-29-BH-8545).
4. For motor vehicles that belong to foreign consulates, the number plates should have white letters on a light blue background (Example: 21 UN 12).
5. For official vehicles that are used by the state governors or President of India and state governors, license plates are not required. These vehicles must have the emblem of India embossed in gold on a red plate.
6. License plates are not required for official cars used by state governors or the President of India and state governors. The India emblem must be imprinted in gold on a red plate on these vehicles.

Components of a Vehicle Registration Number

A vehicle registration number consists of four important components:

• The first two letters on a vehicle number plate indicate the Union Territory or state where the vehicle is registered.
• The subsequent two numbers represent the code of the district where the vehicle is registered. As the volume of vehicle registration is high, the numbers are also attributed to the local RTO code.
• The next 4 digits on a number plate are the vehicle registration number assigned to a vehicle. These numbers generally fall in the range of 0001 to 9999. Once all the numbers from this range are assigned. Two additional letters are added to the number plate and the range continues.

Vehicle Registration Process in India

In order to register a new private/non-commercial vehicle in India, an application in CMV Form 20 must be completed and submitted to the RTO in your location. To complete the process, the applicant must send the sales certificate, roadworthiness certificate, print of chassis number, and other papers with the application, as well as the one-time road tax and registration charge. The registration number is assigned once the vehicle is inspected by the RTO's designated officer.

Following is the list of documents required for the purpose:

1. Form 20 (Additional photocopy in case of hypothecation)
2. PUC (Pollution Under Control) certificate and Roadworthiness certificate
3. Duly filled Form 22 from the manufacturer of the vehicle
4. Sales certificate in Form 21
5. Insurance Certificate of the vehicle
6. Address proof of the vehicle owner (one of the following):
7. Ration Card
8. Voter ID Card
9. Aadhar Card
10. LIC Policy
11. PAN Card
12. Affidavit by the vehicle owner (attested by an Executive, Notary, or a First Class Judicial Magistrate)
13. Passport sized photos (3 Copies)
14. Temporary Registration Certificate (In case of temporarily registered vehicles)
15. Lifetime tax for private/non-transport vehicle
16. Date of birth proof
17. A copy of PAN Card
18. Chassis & Engine Pencil Print

Steps to Know Your Vehicle Details

When purchasing a second-hand vehicle, it is essential to obtain thorough information about the vehicle as well as to verify the complete vehicle model number and vehicle maker information. By number plate, you can obtain the information about a vehicle such as the engine number, RTO registration number, and chassis number.

The steps to know your vehicle details are mentioned below:

Step 1 - Visit the official Parivahan Sewa website.

Step 2 - Under the ‘Online Services’ section, click on ‘NR Services.’

Step 3 - You will be redirected to a new page.

Step 4 - Create an account by providing your mobile number and email address.

Step 5 - Log in to your account.

Step 6 - To know your vehicle details, enter your vehicle plate number/RC number.

RTO Codes Vehicle Registration Numbers in India

Following is the list of state and Union Territory rto codes for vehicle registration:

Process for Changing Address in Registration Certificate

If you wish to change your vehicle registration address, here is the list of documents you need to submit for change of address in Registration Certificate.

• Form 33
• Original RC (Registration Certificate) of the vehicle
• Copy of insurance document (Duly attested)
• Attested photocopy of proof of address on whose name the vehicle is registered
• Attested photocopy of the PUC (Pollution Under Control) certificate
• Attested photocopy of PAN Card or Form 60 & 61 (as required)
• To initiate change of address in vehicle RC in case the vehicle has been purchased through, an NOC (No Objection Certificate) from the financer is required for change in RC address.

Procedure for Transfer of Ownership in Registration Certificate

For transfer of vehicle ownership, an application has to be made to the concerned Registration Office where the vehicle has been originally registered. The following documents are to be submitted along with the application:

• Original (RC) Registration certificate
• Duly filled Form 29 along with duplicate copy (one copy should be attested)
• Duly filled Form 30 along with duplicate copy
• Attested copy of insurance document
• Attested copy of proof of addresser to whom the vehicle needs to be transferred
• Attested copy of PUC (Pollution Under Control) Certificate
• Payment of applicable fee
• Attested photocopy of PAN Card or Form 60 & 61(as required)

Transfer of Vehicle Ownership in After Owner's Death

In case of the death of vehicle owner, the application for re-registration has to be made by the legal heirs of the deceased vehicle owner. Here is the list of documents needed for the same:

• Original (RC) Registration certificate of the vehicle
• Form 30 & Form 31 with duplicate copies and NOC from the financier if the vehicle has been purchased through finance
• Death certificate of the registered owner for verification
• Legal Heir/the persons getting the succession Certificate issued by the competent authority
• Affidavit by the applicant and from the other heirs relinquishing the right in favour of the applicant
• Attested copy of insurance document
• Attested copy of proof of addresser to whom the vehicle needs to be transferred
• Attested copy of PUC (Pollution Under Control) Certificate
• Payment of applicable fee
• Attested photocopy of PAN Card or Form 60 & 61(as required)
• Verification of vehicle on Form 20

For Commercial Vehicle in addition to above:

• Document of permit surrender
• Challan clearance from Traffic department and enforcement department
• Fitness Certificate
• Tax clearance certificate from the concerned authority

Procedure for Endorsement of Hypothecation on Registration Certificate

If the vehicle was purchased on finance, it must be endorsed in the vehicle RC. The following documents are required for the same:

• Original RC (Registration certificate)
• Two copies of Form 34 duly filled (for endorsement of Hypothecation).
• Attested copy of insurance document
• Attested copy of proof of addresser to whom the vehicle needs to be transferred
• Attested copy of PUC (Pollution Under Control) Certificate
• Payment of applicable fee
• Attested photocopy of PAN Card or Form 60 & 61 (as required)

Endorsement of Cancellation of Hypothecation on Registration Certificate

If the loan on the vehicle has been fully paid and there are no instalments to be made, the same should be endorsed in the RC with the submission of the following documents:

• Original RC (Registration certificate)
• Two copies of Form 35 duly filled (for endorsement of Hypothecation).
• Attested copy of insurance document
• Certificate from the financer confirming payment of all the dues
• Attested copy of proof of addresser to whom the vehicle needs to be transferred
• Attested copy of PUC (Pollution Under Control) Certificate
• Payment of applicable fee
• Attested photocopy of PAN Card or Form 60 & 61(as required)
• NOC from the financing agency

Procedure for Issuing NOC for Other State

If the owner of the registered vehicle intends to move his vehicle from one state to another and get it re-registered, they must apply for the NOC on Form-28. The list of needed documents needed is mentioned below:

• Duly filled application on Form 28 (with four copies)
• Attested RC (registration certificate) copy
• Proof of road tax payment
• No road tax dues certificate from the concerned authority
• Valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) Certificate
• Insurance document

In some states, NOC is subject to clearance from the National Crime Records Bureau

Procedure for Re-Registration of Private Vehicle

According to the rules, any private car must be registered for a maximum of 15 years. After 15 years, every registered owner must have his car re-registered at the same Registering Authority office where it was previously registered, together with the accompanying documents:

• Application Form 25
• Original RC (Registration certificate) of the vehicle
• Evidence of payment of road tax till date
• Insurance document attested copy
• Attested copy of PUC certificate
• Payment of tax dues if applicable
• Applicable fee.
• Attested Copy of PAN Card or Form 60 & 61

A private car must be inspected at the registration office before it may be re-registered. The authority will assess the vehicle's roadworthiness and then enable re-registration.

Application for Duplicate Vehicle Registration Certificate

In case of loss or misplacement of the original RC of the vehicle, a duplicate copy can be obtained by submitting the following documents:

• Application Form 26 (along with a duly attested copy and endorsement from the financier in case the vehicle is bought on loan)
• Original copy of the F.I.R/N.C.R.
• Attested copy of insurance document
• Attested copy of PUC certificate.
• Attested copy of proof of address
• Applicable fee
• Challan clearance from traffic police & Enforcement department for commercial vehicles.
• Tax clearance certificate
• Attested copy of PAN Card or Form 60 & 61(as required)