New BH Number Plate Series: All You Need To Know About

A new BH (Bharat) registration series come into force from September 15 this year to enable free interstate movement of vehicles across the nation to benefit those who have to move from one state to another due to their transferable job nature. Here we have mentioned all the necessary details that you would like to know about this new registration series: – 

Who can apply for the BH registration number?

As per the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), only defence personnel and the employees of the central / state governments, PSUs, and private sector companies which have their offices in four or more states/union territories (UTs), can apply for this new registration series for their personal vehicles (commercial vehicles not allowed). 

Benefits of the BH registration number

Opting the BH series is more convenient for those who get frequent transfers as it eliminates the process of re-registering the vehicle if you move to a different state. That said, it will save your money and time.

On the other hand, owners with conventional number plates have to re-register the vehicle with the new state within 12 months after relocating by providing a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the original state and paying the road tax to the new state/UT on a pro-rata basis. And then, they need to claim the already paid amount from the state where the vehicle was originally registered. Honestly, this is a very complex procedure. 

Format of the BH number plate

The Bharat number plate consists four elements – 'YY BH #### XX'

• YY: Year of first registration
• BH: Code for Bharat Series
• ####: 0000 to 9999 (randomized, one cannot opt fancy numbers)
• XX: Alphabets (AA to ZZ)

How to apply for the BH series registration number?

The application process for the new BH series is completely online and it can be done at the dealer level as well during the purchase of a new vehicle. One can generate Application No. by submitting the owner details on the Vahan portal. After which, they will be required to fill in the Vehicle, Insurance, and Hypothecation details. The government employees will also need to submit their official identity cards, whereas the employees of the private sector will have to furnish a working certificate under Form 60.

It is worth noting that the Motor Vehicle tax for the BH series will be levied for two years or in multiples of two. Battery-operated electric vehicles (BEVs) will be given a 2 percent exemption, whereas a 2 percent supplementary charge will be applicable on diesel vehicles. Here are the fixed road taxes for the different price slabs: –