Re-registering your vehicle is mandatory if you move to a different state. According to the Motor Vehicle Act, one can drive the vehicle for a maximum of 12 months without transferring the registration to the new state. After 12 months, one has to transfer the registration to the new state. Otherwise, fines and penalties are imposed.
So, for the people who have to move to different states because of their jobs, this can be a tedious task. Undoubtedly, re-registration of the vehicle is very time-consuming. So, in order to make it easier for the public, the Ministry of Road Transport, and Highways launched Bharat series number plates. The government launched this BH series in September 2021. Though it has been more than two years since its launch, there is still a lot of confusion.
Benefits of BH number plates
There are several benefits of these BH number plates. BH series plate holders do not have to re-register their vehicles whenever they move to another state. This is truly a sigh of relief for those who have to move to different states because of their jobs.
The new BH number plate vehicle owners are bound to pay the road tax for just two years at a time.
What does the BH number plate look like?
The BH number plate looks just the same as the normal ones. However, there is a slight change in the format of the number. Instead, of the state, BH is written on the number plate.
The format is: YY BH #### XX
The number plate starts with two numbers that depict the year of the registration of the vehicle. This is followed by BH representing Bharat. After that, there are four randomly generated numbers which can range from 0000 to 9999. In the end, there are two random alphabets using all combinations from ‘AA’ to ‘ZZ’. Notably, the letters ‘I’ and ‘O’ are not used.
Who is eligible for BH number plates
Those eligible for BH series number plates include:
- Government employees- State or Central government
- People working in defence sector
- Government bank employees
- Those working in administrative services
- Private firm employees who have offices in four or more states or UTs
How to apply for BH series number plate
First of all, the state government authorities will check whether you are eligible for the BH series number plate. If yes, then you can log in to MoRTH’s Vahan portal or can seek help from the vehicle dealer for registration purposes. The dealer will have to fill out Form 20 on behalf of the owner of the vehicle. The ones working in the private sector will have to fill out Form 60. Note that the company for which they are working must have offices in four or more states or UTs.
ALSO READ: 5 things you need to do if you lose your passport abroad
Several features of the BH number plate
- This BH ‘Bharat’ series number plate is eligible for non-transport vehicles only
- The number plate is valid throughout the boundaries of India
- No need for re-registration if you move to a different state
- Hassle-free, paperless process which saves a lot of time for the vehicle owner
Know more about BH series number plates here