License plate (India)

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Current license plate from Karnataka
License plate from Kerala
Bilingual license plate from Karnataka

Since 1989 the number plates in India have had a consistent structure:

  • two letters that represent the state,
  • two digits (a leading zero can also be omitted), which specify a so-called RTO Office , which in some states covers a district , but in other states can also have quite arbitrary areas of responsibility,
  • one or two letters (not used in all states) and
  • one to four digits that form the series part.

Examples: KL 7 AJ 5114, DL 1Y 3572, GA 01 T 1416, TN-59 H 95

In contrast to many other countries, motorcycles have a number plate on the front and back; many vehicles also have them on the sides.

The colors of the signs also have a meaning:

  • black text on a yellow background - commercial vehicles and public transport vehicles (including taxis)
  • black text on a white background - private and state vehicles
  • white writing on a black background - mostly private vehicles
  • white writing on a red / blue background - police (not general)

This classification is mostly followed, but there are exceptions.

Government vehicles have a red background in the upper part of the license plate, on which the function of the owner is written in white, for example "Govt of Gujarat" or "High Court".

Until 1989 the characteristics were a combination of

  • two or three letters , of which the first two indicated the state and the third coded either the district or the vehicle type, but could also already belong to the series part and
  • up to four digits , which always belonged to the series part.

list

India (with state abbreviations)
List of state abbreviations
Andaman and Nicobar Islands ON
Andhra Pradesh AP
Arunachal Pradesh AR
Assam AS
Bihar BR
Chhattisgarh CG
Chandigarh CH
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu DD, formerly also DN
Delhi DL
Goa GA
Gujarat GJ
Haryana MR
Himachal Pradesh HP
Jammu and Kashmir JK
Jharkhand JH
Karnataka KA
Kerala KL
Ladakh LA
Lakshadweep LD
Madhya Pradesh MP
Maharashtra MH
Manipur MN
Meghalaya ML
Mizoram MZ
Nagaland NL
Odisha OD, formerly OR
Pondicherry PY
Punjab PB
Rajasthan RJ
Sikkim SK
Tamil Nadu TN
Telangana TS
Tripura TR
Uttarakhand UK, formerly UA
Uttar Pradesh UP
West Bengal WB

Web links

Commons : Indian License Plates  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ New vehicle registration mark DD for Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu , 23 Jan 2020, accessed on 28 March 2020; before January 26, 2020, Dadra and Nagar Haveli was a separate union territory with license plate DN
  2. ↑ Number plates to sport OD in The Telegraph India of July 19, 2012
  3. ↑ KCR wants TS instead of TG for vehicle registration in The Hindu Hyderabad of June 3, 2014
  4. ↑ KCR wants TS instead of TG for vehicle registration in The Hindu Hyderabad of June 4, 2014