The Bharat Series or BH number plates, aimed at simplifying vehicle registration, provide an excellent solution for individuals frequently re-registering vehicles due to transfers across Indian states.
Although launched by the central government a few years ago, people still face confusion about choosing BH series number plates or opting for state registrations.
BH series vs state registration
When purchasing a new vehicle, individuals can choose either the BH series or state registration. Based on the choice they need to pay the motor tax.
For state registration, a one-time tax is paid during the vehicle purchase. In the case of the BH series, the tax amount is paid every two years for 14 years, and thereafter, annually.
The rates of motor vehicle tax for the BH series are as follows:
| Invoice cost (in Rs) | Motor tax (Percentage of the invoice) |
| Less than 10 lakh | 8 |
| 10-20 lakh | 10 |
| More than 20 lakh | 12 |
While the tax amount paid over 14 years in the BH series is higher than the one-time tax for state registration, vehicles registered in the former can move to any state in India without the hassle of mandatory re-registration, as required for state registration.
Eligibility for BH series
The BH series is not available to everyone. To be eligible, individuals must belong to one of the following categories:
- State or Central government employee
- Defence sector personnel
- Bank employee
- Administrative services employee
- Employee of a private company with branches in over four states or union territories.
However, it is not applicable to transport vehicles.
Format of BH series number plate, how to apply
On the BH series number plate, the first two digits denote the year of registration, and the next two characters will be ‘BH’.
To apply for the BH series, individuals can log in to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ (MoRTH) Vahan portal or provide all required documents to the automobile dealer while purchasing the vehicle.
