Number Plates in India: Types and Usages

Posted on: Mar 30, 2022 | | Written by:

Number Plates in India: Types and Usages

Types and Usage of Number Plates in India

The Indian number plate is a piece of mandatory vehicle equipment in India, being the main part of vehicle registration. They come in different colours and have a variety of combinations.

RTO is a very important department that administers all the vehicle-related services in any state. Your driving licence, your number plate, your car insurance, and the paperwork involved in buying a vehicle – everything is managed by the RTO. The RTO departments across the states in India provide a unique licence or registration number to every car. These number plates are an integral part of the traffic culture in India. This article will provide details on what are the number plates and their types in India.

What are Number Plates?

Number Plates are arguably one of the most important items for any vehicle. In India, all motorised road automobiles are marked with a unique registration number. The district-level RTO of separate states issues these Vehicle registration plate numbers (also known as the number plates). This identification number is shown when your car runs a red light or gets involved in any traffic accident. The traffic authorities will only check your details based on your licence plate. Number Plates are like names for Vehicles. They need to be attached to the back and front of every vehicle.

What are the Number Plate types?

There are currently 8 types of licence plates available in India. They are

Number Plate Type	Number Plate Type
White-coloured Number Plate	These are standard licence plates. They are given out for personal use only.
Yellow-coloured Number Plate	These can only be used for commercial purposes and cannot be utilised for personal purposes. Furthermore, the driver must have a commercial driver's licence to operate the vehicle.
Green-coloured Number Plate	These are utilised in electric vehicles like automobiles and buses.
Red-coloured Number Plate	These are temporary licence plates issued for brand-new vehicles. They are only valid for one month, after this period the owner must obtain a permanent licence plate. However, few states do not provide temporary licence plates.
Blue-coloured Number Plate	These are solely given to foreign officials' automobiles. These licence plates must include letters such as CC (Consular Corps) and UN (United Nations). The diplomat's nation code must be shown on the licence plate.
Black-coloured Number Plate	These are 'A' class luxury resort transport vehicle licence plates.
Upward Arrow Number Plate	These are issued for military automobiles.
Red-coloured Number Plate with Indian Emblem	These were previously issued for government officials like the President and Governors. Currently, they are not in use.

1. Higher Official Number Plates-

● The President and Governors:

The President and Governors used to drive in official automobiles without any number plate, but with the Indian, Emblem imprinted in gold on a red-crimson plate. However, they now have regular licence plates, just like the rest of us.

● Military Authorities:

The military authorities have a distinct licence numbering structure that is unlike any other. The Defence Ministry in New Delhi is in charge of registering the numbers. The first letter is an arrow pointing upward. This is known as a Broad Arrow.

2. Customised Number Plates-

The last four digits of each vehicle are unique among India's many forms of number plates. Individuals will fix elaborate numerals like 6666 or 3333, which will be expensive, costing roughly 1,00,000 INR or more depending on the state. Andhra Pradesh uses an auction procedure to assign licence plates. The number plate is awarded to the highest bidder. licence plates with fancy numbers are in high demand and attract the most bidders for a number plate auction.

3. New Updates-

● Snap Locks:

After an effort to tamper with it, the snap-locks on HSRP do not remain reusable. HSRP is applicable throughout India to completely revolutionise the country and effectively counter stealing licence plates.

● Customised licence Plates:

Fancy number plates allow you to personalise your car's licence plate in terms of typeface and size. But, before you choose a stylish number plate, make sure you are aware of the new regulations concerning the customised choices.

Why Number Plates are necessary?

Before driving their new exciting vehicles, car owners need to register for a registration number. Driving an unregistered automobile is a violation of the nation's motor laws. If you are discovered driving an unregistered vehicle, you might face serious consequences. While driving, you must also have your registration certificate and car insurance documentation with you. You can't acquire the obligatory third party car insurance policies or file claims with even the top car insurance companies in India if you don't have a valid registration certificate.

Conclusion

It can be argued that a number plate is the most important part of a vehicle. Be it a car or a bike, it is the plate that lets other road users know which state the vehicle is from, who it belongs to, and much more. As such, taking your time while selecting a number plate for your vehicle should be considered an important task, not just another activity on your to-do list.

If your car is new, you should also consider buying a car insurance policy to financially safeguard you in case something goes wrong on the road.

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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