Govt. of India introduces new registration series for vehicles for easy transfer across states
A new regime of “Bharat” (BH) series of registration mark for new vehicles introduced to facilitate relocation from one state to another.
The central government has taken a significant step towards doing away with the practice of changing registration number if a vehicle is shifted from one state to another.
A new series of registration number has been introduced by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for the purpose.
The BH-series is the latest reform introduced by the central ministry. Last year, it had mandated all vehicles sold in India before April 2019 to have high security registration plates (HSRP).
The Ministry, vide notification dated August 26, has introduced a new registration mark, Bharat series (BH-series), for new vehicles. A vehicle bearing this registration mark shall not require assignment of a new registration mark when the owner shifts from one state to another and takes the vehicle along.
Format of BH-series registration Mark will be YY BH #### XX (YY for year of first registration, BH is Code for Bharat Series, #### is the randomized four digit number and XX are two alphabets).
Vehicle registration facility under the BH-series will be available to defence personnel, employees of central government and state government, central and state public sector undertakings and private sector organisations having offices in four or more states/union territories.
“Station relocation occurs with both Government and private sector employees. Such movements create a sense of unease in the minds of much employees with regard to transfer of registration from the parent state to another state as, under section 47 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, a person is allowed to keep the vehicle for not more than 12 months in any state other than the state where the vehicle is registered, but a new registration with the new state-registering authority has to be made within the stipulated time of 12 months," the ministry said.
For vehicles opting for BH-series registration the motor vehicle tax will be levied for two years or in multiple of two. Objective of the scheme is to facilitate free movement of personal vehicles across states/UTs of the country upon relocation to a new state/UT. After completion of the fourteenth year, the motor vehicle tax shall be levied annually which shall be half of the amount which was charged earlier for that vehicle.
Under the existing law, a person is allowed to keep his/her vehicle for up to 12 months only in any state other than where the vehicle is registered. New registration with the new state-registering authority has to be made within 12 months.
Re-registering the vehicle entails obtaining No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the parent state, assignment of new registration mark after the road tax on pro rata basis is paid in the new state and apply for refund of the road tax in the parent state on pro rata basis.
The process of securing refund from the parent state is cumbersome and varies from one state to another.
A passenger vehicle user takes the following steps to no-register a vehicle:
-No Objection Certificate from the Parent State for assignment of a new registration mark in another state;
-Assignment of new registration mark after the road tax on pro-rata basis is paid in the new state.;
-Application for refund of the road tax in the parent state.
Format of Bharat series (BH-series) Registration Mark -
Registration Mark Format: -
YY BH #### XX
YY – Year of first registration
BH- Code for Bharat Series
####- 0000 to 9999 (randomized)
XX- Alphabets (AA to ZZ)
This provision to get a refund from the parent State on pro-rata basis is a very cumbersome process.
The motor vehicle tax will be levied for two years or in multiple of two. This scheme will facilitate the free movement of personal vehicles across States/UTs of India upon relocation to a new State/UT. After completion of the fourteenth year, the motor vehicle tax shall be levied annually which shall be half of the amount which was charged earlier for that vehicle.
It further said that 2 per cent extra charge will be levied for diesel vehicles, while electric vehicles will be charged 2 per cent less tax.
In case, where the vehicle bears BH-series registration mark, the motor vehicle tax shall be levied electronically.
The new rules also called Central Motor Vehicles (Twentieth Amendment) Rules, 2021, shall come into force with effect from September 15, 2021. The registration mark for BH-series vehicle will be generated randomly through the portal.