Registration Numbers in India Every state adapts its own State Government Resolution (G.R.) based system. This is in consonance with the Indian Motor Vehicles Act 1988, that repealed the similar Act of 1938/39. This new Act came into effect from 1st July 1989. Since then all states have adopted this system for motor vehicle registrations.
For instance, in Delhi State each category of motor vehicle is given a registration viz. DL 3 C S 1111, where S is for scooter. The commercial vehicles based on their category viz. taxi, bus etc have T (for black and yellow taxis) P (buses) etc.
I have seen no other state following the Delhi system of allocating such letters for vehicle categories as S, T, P etc.
The number that follows after the state code viz. DL 6 is the code for the RTO office where it is registered.Normally it is related to the showroom location.
In many cases people take away the vehicle with a red painted temporary number on a yellow sticker (legally valid for 7 days) from the showroom and like to get the vehicle registered under a RTO office of their choice, for which the permanent address proof of this place has to be provided too.
There's another trade secret. No state uses O after the state and RTO code. For instance you will not find any such number MH 01 O 2222 or MH 01 AO 2222. This is because O can be confused with zero. This can mislead investigators in case of hit and run accidents.
The letters A to Z (except O) are used by every RTO after the state and RTO/city codes. When Z is reached, the new series to follow is AA, AB, AC, AD and so on till AZ. Then after A is over its BA, BB,BC, BD till BZ (there's no AO or BO) followed by CA to CZ and so on.
In Chhattisgarh, I found a peculiar system for re-numbering old motor vehicles that were registered before the inception of the state. In all the cities/ RTO jurisdictions in Chhattisgarh the old motor vehicles have been allocated the ZD series after the state and city/ town code viz. CG 09 ZD 2222. This number indicates an undoubtedly old motor vehicle whose old number is gone and that has been re-registered.
Other than Chhattisgarh there is no other state (please correct me friends) where the registration numbers earlier to 01.07.1989 have been totally obliterated from the records. It means that all motor vehicles within Chhattisgarh have the numbers CG__ __ _____ and not some older Madhya Pradesh registration. Jharkhand, Uttarkhand and Chhattisgarh states came into being much later than 01.07.1989. All motor vehicles in Chhattisgarh bore Madhya Pradesh registrations earlier and hence it was like MP 23 ______for Raipur, MP 28 _______for Bilaspur and so on for other towns post 01.01.1989. The numbers prior to 01.01.1989 were MPR, MPS, MPT, CPR, CPS for Raipur MPL, CPL for Bilaspur and so on. One cannot see motor vehicles in Chhattisgarh bearing such numbers today, as all these have been wiped out as they have been statutorily told re-register in the CG series at their respective towns/cities by a Government Order (GO).
States like Maharashtra, Karnataka and even Tamil Nadu are very accomodative. In Maharashtra we even have Bombay state registrations ( Maharashtra was formed on 01.05.1960) like BML, BMX, BMY, BMC, BMF,BMU, also BMW and BMZ all Bombay city registrations of the 1950's. Pune had BYH and BYG. Nagpur had BYJ . In the Mumbai VCCCI Vintage and Classic Car Rally one will find all old remnants like these in live, shiny metal and chrome.The state still allows motor vehicles to run in the state with these numbers even today and still maintains records in its RTO offices regarding ownership, taxes paid/not paid, offences committed if any and so on.
The same is the case with Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states, where older Mysore and Madras state numbers (MY and ME series like MYB, MEB (Bangalore), and MDM, MSX (Madras city) still thrive and are allowed to carry on just like the way they were originally.
The practices adapted by Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are quite praiseworthy. Classic and vintage car and bike lovers like me still are able to see very old vehicles with their original numbers.
I'll post the complete list of Motor vehicle Registration Series adapted in India (States and U/T' s, city/ town/ metro wise ) soon.
Last edited by GTO : 7th July 2014 at 16:10.
Reason: Adding paragraph spacing to improve readability :)
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