New Colour Scheme of Vehicle Number Plates in India : Ministry of Road Transport and Highways

New Colour Scheme of Vehicle Number Plates in India. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways

Central government has issued a new notification for New Colour Scheme of Vehicle Number Plates in India. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has released this update on 16 July 2020 to remove any ambiguity regarding number plates of vehicles. In the new scheme, battery operated vehicles will continue to display alpha numerals in yellow colour with a green background. Vehicles with temporary registration will display alpha numerals in red with yellow background. Moreover, vehicles in possession of dealers will display alpha numerals in white with red background. In this post, we will tell you about the complete colour code scheme of number plates of Indian vehicles.

The new notification by MoRTH is to rectify the anomalies in the chapter on “The assignment of registration mark on vehicles for various States and Union Territories at a glimpse”. This is done through tabulation of items so that it clearly enunciates the colour of the alpha numerals and the back ground of registration plate of different class and category of vehicles.

The new notification of Colour Scheme of Vehicle Number Plates in India has been issued only for enabling clarity, and nothing new has been prescribed for the plates. Previously, the central govt. had prescribed different registration marks on vehicles for various states and union territories. Now it prescribed colour of alpha numerals and background on registration plates for different categories of vehicles.

Indian vehicles number plates comes in 8 different colour combinations:-

• Private vehicle number plates have black lettering on a white background.

• Commercial vehicles, such as taxis, buses and lorries, have black lettering on a yellow background.

• Yellow lettering on a black background is used to denote a Rental vehicle.

• White lettering on a light blue background indicates that the vehicle belongs to a foreign embassy or consulate.

• Number plates of battery operated vehicles, i.e. electric vehicles have alpha numerals in yellow colour with a green background.

• Vehicles with a temporary registration number will have to display have to alpha numerals in red with yellow background.

• Dealers vehicles will be required to display alpha numerals in white with red background.

• The 8th form of number plate is quite special and very exclusive. It features the state emblem of India in gold on a red background. This number plate is for Indian president or one of the governors of a federal state or union territory.

Besides standard registration numbers, India also offers vanity plates, though the options available are rather limited. The only bits customers can choose are the last four digits and the series of the number plate. Only numbers that have never been used are on offer.

Since 2005, India has a law on new secure number plates namely High Security Registration Plates (HSRP). However, implementation has been very slow and has yet to be completed in some federal states. The new vehicular number plates have special security features enabling them to be fitted and removed only with a special device. If these registration plates are tampered, then these number plates becomes unusable. In such cases, it would be impossible to fit different plates on the vehicle.

One more security element for vehicles number plates is a registration mark – hologram sticker that is affixed to the windscreen. It contains registration number, number of the transport authority issuing the plate, engine number, body number and a lasered PIN code. The PIN can be read with a special laser camera and in combination with the sticker that is non-transferable and becomes unusable if removed. The aim is to improve the protection of vehicles from theft and to prevent criminals from using stolen number plates for their activities.

The notification issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said, “Earlier, the Ministry had prescribed different registration mark on vehicles for various states and union territories under sub-section (6) of section 41 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (59 of 1988) vide S.O.444(E), dated the 12th June, 1989. Later, the Ministry vide SO 827 (E) dated 11th November, 1992 amended the S.O.444(E), dated the 12th June, 1989 to prescribe the colour of the alpha numerals and the back ground registration plate for different class and category of vehicles.

Further, the Ministry vide GSR 901 (E) dated 13/12/2001 prescribed the colour of the registration plate for transport and non transport class of vehicles. It came to the notice of the Ministry that the amendment in the chapter, “The assignment of registration mark on vehicles for various States and Union Territories at a glimpse’ inserted vide S.O. 444(E), dated the 12th June, 1989 was left out. Due to which certain ambiguities were noticed. Hence, this notification has been issued for enabling clarity.”

Confused? Allow us to explain it: Simply put, this notification prescribes no new regulation for vehicle number plates and has been issued merely to ensure clarity. As stated above, the ministry had previously prescribed different registration marks for vehicles across different states and union territories. Later, the ministry prescribed the colour of the alpha numerals as well as the background on registration plates for different categories of vehicles. Apparently this had caused some confusion and thus new notification is issued.

The first two characters of an Indian registration number are letters denoting the federal state or union territory, of which there are 36 in India. Next up are two digits indicating the regional transport authority within the state or territory that issued the registration number. After that, there are one, two or three letters showing the current series of registration numbers. The final four digits are the number unique to the plate.

The last feature of a number plate is the IND sign on the left. Above that is Ashoka Chakra (the symbol depicted on the Indian flag), and below it is the number plate’s lasered PIN code. Some states and territories (such as the National Capital Territory of Delhi) add an extra letter before the series explained above in order to designate the vehicle type. Each state can use its own set of codes for this purpose. Delhi, for example, makes a distinction between motorbikes, cars, electric vehicles, public transport vehicles, three-wheeled rickshaws, taxis, pick-up trucks, and rental vehicles.