A Vehicle Registration Plate or commonly referred to as a number/license plate is a metal/plastic plate with a certain combination of alphabets and numbers on it, attached to the front and rear of a motor vehicle, and is used for identification purposes. A typical HSRP vehicle registration number plate contains the following elements: –
- The top left etching is a Hot Stamped Based Ashoka Chakra Symbol with the International Registration code for India – IND. Below that is the laser-etched 10-digit serial number which is unique to each registration plate.
- Moving right, the first pair of alphabets (XX) is used to represent the state or union territory in which the vehicle is registered. For eg: DL for Delhi, RJ for Rajasthan, UK for Uttarakhand, HR for Haryana, TN for Tamil Nadu, MH for Maharashtra, etc.
- The next two digits represent the regional transport authority within the state/territory that allocated the registration number, followed by one, two, or three letters showing the ongoing series of registration numbers.
- The last 4 digits are a combination of numbers unique to each vehicle. Although usually assigned random, special numbers like 5555, 1111, 0007, etc. can be purchased at a premium through auctions at RTO and are referred to as VIP numbers.
HSRP or High-Security Plate Registration Plate is a new mandatory type of registration plate which is made for easier identification of cars and cannot be re-used for security purpose. It contains a laser-etched 10-digit permanent identification number (PIN) that helps creating a digitised national database of registered vehicles.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has also recently introduced a new BH series number plate for seamless interstate movement of vehicles across the country.
Different Colors of Registration Number Plates
Now that we understand the basics of a number plate, let’s find out what colors do number plates come in and what each exactly signifies:
- White Background with Black Text
This is the most common type of number plate issued for personal vehicles and automobiles used for personal use only.
- Yellow Background with Black Text
It is the second most common number plate seen on roads, used only for commercial vehicles. So cabs, trucks carrying goods, etc., are all required to use this plate.
- Black Background with Yellow Text
It is used for self-driven commercial vehicles, i.e., rented vehicles like Zoom cars, Drivezy, etc. Yes, it comes under the commercial category but the driver doesn’t require a commercial permit/license to drive such vehicles.
- Green Background with White Text
The green background here signifies that the vehicle being used is an EV (electric vehicle), while the white lettering signifies it is for private use. For commercial EVs, the lettering would be yellow instead.
- Red Background with White Text
These are primarily used as temporary numbers for newer testing vehicles until their proper number plate arrives from the transport department of their region. Such number plates are valid for one month only.
- Blue Background with White Text
A blue-colored registration plate with white letters is issued to a vehicle reserved for foreign diplomats. These types of number plates depict the country code instead of the state code such as 77 for the US, 68 for Pakistan, 11 for Britain, etc.
- Number Plates with Upward Arrows
Vehicles with upward arrow number plates belong to the military. The arrow in the number is called the ”Broad Arrow”. The two numbers after the arrow denote the date of manufacturing or the induction date of the respective vehicle, whereas the next alphabet represents the category of the vehicle. For e.g.: – A is for two-wheelers, B is for car/jeep, C is for Light Motor Vehicle (1 or 2.5 tonnes), D is for lorry trucks (3 -5 tonnes), E is for Specialist Trucks, Cranes, etc., K is for army ambulance, P is for army buses and X for armor vehicles. Next is the 6-digit unique registration number and the letter at the end is the check code.
- Red Background with Emblem of India
It was a very special type of number plate, reserved only for the President of India, the Vice President, and the Governors and Lieutenant Governors of various States/Union Territories. However, from 2018 onwards all vehicles belonging to these constitutional posts also use standard registered numbers.
