All You Need to Know About High-Security Number Plates (HSRP)

Posted on: Feb 23, 2023 | | Written by:

All You Need to Know About High-Security Number Plates (HSRP)

Published on February 23, 2023. EST READ TIME: 4 minutes

Have you decided to buy a car? There are good chances it took a fair bit of effort to zero down on a specific model. Whether it is a comparison between different car models or variants of the same car, it requires effort. While you have control over choosing the car, there are a few things that you might need more control over. Government regulations are one of them. While you can buy car insurance online, opting for HSRP before taking your car out for delivery is mandatory.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways recently made it mandatory for all cars sold prior to April 2019 to have HSRP. Failing to do so will warrant hefty fines, which can be between Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 10,000. If you are unsure about HSRP and why the government has made it mandatory, here is all you need to know.

What is HSRP?

HSRP stands for High-Security Number Plate. These aluminium number plates are installed on the car with the help of at least two snap-on locks that cannot be reused. The HSRP contains a hologram of Ashok Chakra hot-stamped with chromium and is 20m X 20mm in dimension. The chakra is blue in colour and presents on the top left corner of the plate.

Apart from this, the number plate also has a permanent identification number of 10 digits, which is laser printed on the bottom left side. The most prominent feature of the number plate is that INDIA is inscribed at a 45-degree angle on the plate. And more importantly, the number plate is linked to the vehicle it is installed on.

Who should install HSRP?

HSRP applies to all vehicles in the country. If you have bought a vehicle after 2019, you should already have a number plate that is HSRP. However, for all the vehicles purchased before 2019, car owners must get HSRP if they wish to avoid paying penalties to the traffic police department. You must also buy car insurance online if you do not wish to pay any penalties. The absence of a policy warrants a hefty penalty. Buying a policy online makes it easier and faster.

Are there any benefits of using HSRP?

Since the government has mandated the usage of HSRP, it is essential that car owners are aware of the benefits of installing HSRP on their cars. Here are some of the significant benefits.

1. Installing HSRP, helps the government to accumulate data on the car, such as chassis number, engine number, etc. This data is stored in a central database. And the unique number present on the number plate makes it easier for authorities to identify and track your vehicle efficiently.

2. Since there was no regulation on number plates, vehicle owners used different fonts and designs on the number plates. These made it difficult for the traffic police to take note of the registration number of a vehicle while it was moving. HSRP ensures that a standard font and size are used for vehicle numbers, making them more readable by traffic personnel.

3. The older number plates could be easily tampered with, removed and replaced. This resulted in a higher number of theft cases. Since thieves could easily replace the number plates, it made it very difficult for the police to track such vehicles. HSRP, on the other hand, comes with Snap-on locks that cannot be reused. This makes them very difficult to be replaced.

4. To get your hands on HSRP, one would need to visit authorised dealers or authorised vendors in the state. And these entities are allowed to issue an HSRP only when the car owner produces the engine number, chassis number, etc. Thus, making it almost impossible to issue counterfeit HSRPs.

Apart from using an HSRP, it is recommended that you opt for a zero depreciation car insurance policy. The plan offers maximum protection to your car in the event of any incident. A standard comprehensive plan usually deducts depreciation during claims. However, zero depreciation car insurance eliminates depreciation and ensures no payment from your end, apart from any mandatory deductibles.

What are the charges for HSRP?

Currently, the central government has placed no fixed prices or caps on securing an HSRP. Thus, the chances of getting HSRP might vary from one state to another. On average, the cost of getting HSRP for two-wheelers can be Rs. 400, while that for four-wheelers might cost you up to Rs. 1,100. You will also need to pay Rs. 100 for a colour-coded sticker, which is mandatory.

Differences between HSRP and standard number plates

Here are the differences between HSRP and standard number plates.

1. HSRP has a hologram of Ashoka Chakra, while the standard plates do not have these.

2. HSRP brings forth a standard font and size of letters, which was not the case with number standard plates.

3. HSRP has a laser-imprinted unique identity number that can be scanned quickly, making it difficult to tamper with. Standard templates do not have any such unique identifiers.

4. HSRP has snap-on locks, which provide a lot of security. If the lock is broken, you must visit authorised vendors to reinstall a new number plate. Different from the standard plates, this ensures that number plates are complicated to tamper with.

5. A sticker along with HSRP makes it easier to read the fuel type of the vehicle, which was not the case with standard plates. The presence of HSRP increases the safety of your vehicle by a certain degree. In the unfortunate event of it being stolen, HSRP makes it easier for authorities to identify the vehicle. And it is intended to reduce counterfeits and vehicle thefts.

If you want to provide even better security to your car, buying car insurance online is one of the better options. When you buy a policy online, you can view the policy coverage and premium quotations even before finalising a policy. The insured declared value of your car or IDV is its current market value. And insurance companies consider the insured declared value to calculate the policy premiums.

When you buy the policy online, you can play around with the IDV and see its impact on the policy premiums. A lower IDV results in a lower premium and vice-versa. However, it is not recommended to choose the lowest IDV, as it can impact your future claims.

Conclusion

The Government has made it mandatory for all vehicle owners to have HSRP for their vehicles. If your vehicle already has HSRP, you need not worry about anything besides buying adequate car insurance online. However, if your car does not have HSRP, you must get them soon. You can visit the authorised vendors in your locality to get an HSRP. Unless you want to pay hefty penalties to the traffic police department.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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