BH series number plate: Everything you want to know
- BH series number plates were introduced in 2021 to bring convenience for vehicle owners who randomly move to different states for their jobs.
The Government of India introduced the BH series number plate or Bharat Series registration number for non-transport vehicles in August 2021. Following that, registrations for the BH series number plates started on 15th September 2021. The aim behind launching the BH series number plate was to remove the obligation of transferring vehicle registration after moving from one state to another.
According to the Motor Vehicle Act, a car registered in a state in India can be driven in other states for a maximum of 12 months without transferring the registration to the new state. Once the 12-month period is over, the owner of the vehicle must transfer the registration of the vehicle to the new state. Not complying with this rule may result in penalties like fines. This re-registration of vehicles becomes troublesome for people with transferable jobs, as the process is time-consuming.
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The Ministry of Road, Transport, and Highways (MoRTH) introduced the BH series registration numbers keeping an eye on this issue. It brings convenience for car owners who move to different states for their jobs. Thanks to the BH series registration numbers, they can move to any region in India without worrying about re-registration of the vehicle in the new state.
While the BH series registration plate comes with a range of benefits for the users, it also commands some criteria to be eligible to get one. Here are all the key details you would like to know about the BH series number plates.
BH series vehicle registration is not meant for all or not available to everyone, like the conventional number plates. If the vehicle owner is a central or state government employee, he or she can apply for BH series registration. If the owner is an employee of government PSUs such as BHEL, ONGC, IOCL, BSNL etc., he or she can apply for the BH series number plate. Defence personnel can apply for the BH series number plates. Employees of a private sector company, which has offices in at least four different states or union territories, can apply for a BH registration number.
While purchasing a new car, the automobile dealer will fill out Form 20 on behalf of the vehicle owner on the government's Vahan portal. While selecting the series type, select BH series. Submit the required documents like a working certificate or Form 60, a copy of the official identity card along with other necessary documents. Pay the required fee or Motor Vehicle tax online. Once the steps are done, the RTO will approve the BH series number plate and the Vahan portal will generate the BH series registration number in random order.
Yes, buying or selling the BH series registered vehicle is legal. If you purchase a BH series registered vehicle and re-register it from your regional RTO. Also, you can sell a BH series registered vehicle as well. The buyer of your vehicle will have to apply for re-registration in his or her RTO to obtain the regional registration number. The BH-registered vehicle can be sold to someone who is not eligible for BH registration. However, in that case, the new owner will have to pay the registration fee and applicable taxes based on the regulations of the state or union territory. He or she will get a new registration number from the RTO. In a nutshell, BH-registered vehicles are transferable to both BH-series eligible and non-eligible buyers.
For vehicles registered with a BH series number plate, the road tax will be charged for two years or in multiples of two. The road tax for the BH series can be paid online and will be applicable for 14 years. After that, an annual payment is compulsory. If the vehicle's invoice cost is less than ₹10 lakh, the tax will be eight per cent of the amount. If the car costs between ₹10 lakh and ₹20 lakh, the tax amounts to 10 per cent of the amount. For vehicles with invoice costs amounting to more than ₹20 lakh, the tax is 12 per cent of the amount. Diesel vehicles will be charged with a two per cent extra charge in each slab. The electric vehicles will be two per cent less in each slab.
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If the vehicle owner is eligible for the BH series number plate, he or she can apply for the BH series registration by uploading the necessary documents and paying the necessary road tax.
A BH number plate comprises alphanumeric texts containing both alphabets and numbers. Each number and alphabet signifies something different. For example, if the number plate reads ‘24BH1111AA’, the first two numbers signify the year of registration, 2024 in this case. BH stands for Bharat. Then there are four random computer-generated numbers followed by two random alphabets, excluding I and O.
