BH Number Plate Guide: Eligibility, Benefits & Apply

Getting a new car is exciting. But if your job can send you to a new state next year, that excitement turns into a headache. You can't keep your old number plate. You have to go to the RTO in the new state, stand in line, fill forms, and pay a large road tax all over again.

That's the problem the BH number plate fixes. 

We'll explain what it is, who can get it, what papers you need, and how to apply—in simple, jargon-free language.

What Is a BH Number Plate?

Introduced in 2021, it's a special all-India vehicle registration. Once your car or bike has this plate, you can take it to any state in the country without ever having to change the registration number.

Example: Let's say you get a government job, and your first posting is in Delhi. You buy a car and get a regular DL number plate. Two years later, you get transferred to Chennai. Now you have a problem. You can't keep that Delhi number. You have to go through the whole RTO process again in Tamil Nadu to get a new TN plate. It's a hassle everyone with a transferable job knows.

That's the exact problem the BH number plate fixes.

It's easy to spot a BH number plate. This is how the format looks: XX BH 22 XXXX. 

1. The 'BH' stands for Bharat. 
2. The two numbers (like 22) tells the year it was registered. 

This same format is used everywhere in India, unlike state plates which all look different.

Why Was the BH Series Introduced?

The government made the BH number plate mainly for government staff, defence people, and some private company employees. These people get transferred to a new state every few years.

Before this, every time you moved states, you had to:

• Go to the RTO in your new state.
• Apply for a completely new registration number.
• Pay a big lump sum amount for road tax again.
• Wait for the whole process to finish.

The BH series cuts out this repeated headache. Your car is registered once for the whole country.

How Does BH Registration Differ from State Plates?

The main differences are in three big areas: where you can drive, how the number looks, and how you pay tax.

1. Moving across states:

• BH plate: You can take your vehicle to any state. No need for re-registration.
• State plate: You must re-register your vehicle in the new state within 12 months of moving.

2. Look of the Number Plate:

• BH plate: Same format everywhere in India.
• State plate: Design and format change with each state.

3. Paying Road Tax:

• BH plate: You pay the road tax in parts, every two years. This is easier on your pocket.
• State plate: You pay the full road tax for 15 years in one go when you first register.

Have you seen trucks with “All India Permit” written over them?

Well, a BH series number is the same concept but for private vehicles. A state plate ties your vehicle to that state. A BH plate ties your vehicle to you, no matter which state you live in.

Read: Red Number Plate in India Guide

Who Is Eligible for BH Number Plate?

Not everyone can get a BH number plate. The government made it for a specific reason which is to help certain groups of people to move freely between state lines. 

Who are these certain groups of people, you ask? Let's talk about that.

Are Government Employees Eligible for BH Plates?

Yes. If you are a government employee, you are at the top of the list for BH series eligibility. 

This includes: 

1. Central Government employees (like IAS officers, people working in ministries).
2. State Government employees.
3. Employees of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) like BHEL, SAIL, etc.
4. People in Administrative Services.
5. Bank employees working in public sector banks.

The logic is simple. These jobs come with frequent transfers. You could be in Punjab today and Kerala in two years. The BH plate removes the vehicle registration hassle from that transfer.

Can Defence Personnel Get BH Number Plates?

Yes, absolutely. This is one of the main groups the scheme was designed for.

If you are in the Army, Navy, or Air Force, you qualify. Defence postings change every few years, and moving your family vehicle each time was a big task. The BH number plate solves that. 

Once registered, you can drive your car or bike to any cantonment or posting across India without having to deal with the RTO again.

Do Private Sector Employees Qualify for BH Registration?

Now, here is where it gets a little specific. Not every private company employee can get it.

You qualify only if you meet a condition, where:

Your private company must have offices in at least four different states or union territories across India.

This usually means large Indian companies or big multinational corporations (MNCs).

your private company has offices in at least four different states or union territories. This usually means large Indian companies or big multinational corporations (MNCs).

So, if you work for a small local business in one city, you won't be eligible.

But if your company has big offices in, say, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Chennai, and you get transferred between them, then you can apply for the BH series for your new vehicle.

Read: How to Transfer Car Ownership in India (RC Transfer Guide)

What Documents Are Required for BH Number Plate?

Getting a BH number plate means you have to prove three things to the RTO: who you are, where you work, and which vehicle you are registering. If your papers are not right, your application will get rejected. 

So, let's break down exactly what you need to keep ready.

Which ID Proofs Are Needed for BH Application?

You need to prove your identity and your address. The RTO will accept any of these government issued cards:

• Aadhaar card
• PAN card
• Passport
• Voter ID card

For address proof, a utility bill (like electricity or gas), a rental agreement, or even your bank statement will work. 

The key is that the name and address should match across your other documents.

What Employment Documents Must Be Submitted?

This is the most important part to prove you are eligible. The document you need depends on your job type.

1. For Government/PSU/Defence/Bank Employees: You just need to show your official government ID card or a letter from your office.
2. For private company employees: You need a work certificate or official letter from your employer. This letter must state that your company has offices in four or more states. You might also need to submit Form 60.

Are Vehicle Papers Mandatory for BH Plates?

Yes, absolutely. You cannot register a vehicle without its own documents. For a new vehicle, you need:

1. The vehicle invoice from the showroom.
2. A valid car or bike insurance policy. Better be sure that your vehicle insurance is active. Compare best car or bike insurance options or renew your current plan with the MyMotor App.
3. The Pollution Under Control certificate.

If you are applying for an already registered vehicle, you would need its Registration Certificate.

How to Apply for a BH Number Plate in India?

Applying for a BH number plate is mostly an online process, which is good because it saves you trips to the RTO. But you need to follow the steps correctly and know exactly what you are paying for.

What Is the Step-by-Step BH Registration Process?

You usually start this process when you buy a new vehicle from a showroom. The dealer will often help you. Here is how it works:

1. The application is done on the government's Parivahan or Vahan portal. Your car dealer can do this for you. If you want to do this yourself, feel free. Check out our guide on the registration process.
2. The dealer will fill out Form 20 on the portal with your and the vehicle's details.
3. Upload Your Documents. Submit all the papers we talked about earlier like your ID, employment proof, and vehicle invoice.
4. Make sure the dealer selects the 'BH Series' option during the application, not the regular state registration.
5. You pay the required amount online. We'll talk about the cost next.
6. After the RTO checks everything, your BH series number is generated randomly. You can then download a digital RC.

Where Can You Apply for BH Series Online?

There is only one official online place to apply: the Ministry of Road Transport (MoRTH) website. This is the Parivahan/Vahan portal.

You can access it yourself, but it's easier to let your authorised car dealer handle it when you buy the vehicle.

How Much Does BH Number Plate Cost?

The cost for a BH number plate is not a single fixed number. It has two parts:

1. The road tax:

You pay this tax every two years. How much you pay depends on your car's showroom price (without GST).

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• For Diesel Cars: Add 2% more to the rates above.
• For Electric Cars: Reduce 2% from the rates above.

Example: A petrol car costing ₹9 lakh will pay ₹72,000 as road tax. But you pay it as ₹36,000 every two years.

2. One-time registration fee:

This is a fixed charge for making the plate and registration. It is usually around ₹1,000.

So, your total upfront cost when you register would be the First 2-year road tax + ₹1000 (approx.) registration fee.

What Are the Benefits of BH Number Plates?

The main reason to get a BH number plate is to make your life easier if you move states. It takes away two of the biggest headaches of owning a car in India: re-registration and big tax payments.

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1. Does BH Plate Allow Pan-India Driving Without Re-Registration?

Yes, this is the biggest benefit. Once your vehicle has a BH series number, it is registered for the whole country.

Think about a normal car with a state plate, like a MH 12 plate from Maharashtra. 

If the owner gets a job in Bangalore, they have to re-register the car in Karnataka within a year. This means going to the RTO, getting a No Objection Certificate or an NOC, paying the fees, and getting a new KA number.

With a BH number plate, you don't have to put yourself through all that hassle.

With a BH number plate, you can drive from all the way up from Kashmir to all the way down till Kanyakumari without ever changing your registration. 

The police in all states recognize it. This is a huge time and paperwork saver for people with transferable jobs.

Read: HSRP in India Guide

2. How Does BH Series Simplify Road Tax Payments?

This could be the second biggest benefit. With a regular state plate, you pay the full road tax for 15 years upfront. For a ₹10 lakh car, this can be a payment of ₹1 lakh or more at one time.

The BH series changes this completely. You pay your road tax in small parts every two years.

Here’s how it helps:

• Easier on your pocket: Instead of one big payment, you pay smaller amounts. This frees up your cash.
• No tax loss when you move: With a state plate, if you move after 5 years, you lose the tax you paid for the remaining 10 years. With a BH plate, you just stop paying in the old state and start your next payment in the new state. You don't lose money.

3. Can BH Plates Reduce Insurance Hassles?

When you have a normal state-registered car and move, you often have to update your car insurance policy with the new address. Sometimes, insurers might even adjust the premium based on the new city.

Since a BH number plate is not linked to any one state, some insurance companies offer a flat, all-India premium for such vehicles. 

This means your car insurance premium might not change every time you move, and you may not need to update your address constantly. It makes managing your insurance a bit simpler.

However, this is not a guaranteed rule with all insurers. 

You should ask your insurance provider about their policy for BH series vehicles when you buy or renew.

BH Number Plate Validity and Renewal

A BH number plate is valid for a long time, but you need to keep paying tax to use it. There are two things to know: how long the registration itself lasts, and how often you pay the road tax.

What Is the Road Tax Tenure for BH Plates?

You do not pay road tax for a BH series vehicle all at once. You pay it in parts over many years.

• For the first 14 years, you pay your road tax every two years.
• After 14 years, you pay the road tax every year.

This means smaller, more manageable payments instead of one very large payment when you buy the car.

How to Renew BH Registration and Tax?

"Renewal" mainly means paying your next road tax installment. You do this online on the Parivahan portal. You don't have to go to the RTO.

Follow these steps to pay your BH series road tax online:

1. Go to the website: Visit the Parivahan portal (the official MoRTH website).
2. Log in & select service: Log in to your account. Go to 'Online Services' and click 'Pay Your Tax'.
3. Enter your state: Choose the state you are living in right now.
4. Enter vehicle details: Type your vehicle's registration number and the last five digits of your chassis number.
5. Choose tax term: Under 'Tax Details', select 'LumpSum Two Year'. This is for paying the next two-year period.
6. Make the payment: Check the amount and pay online.
7. Get confirmation: The portal will show your new tax due date. Save this confirmation.

Once you pay, your BH number plate is valid for the next two years. Remember to do this before your due date to avoid late fees.

The BH plate rules are for all of India, but some states have their own small extra rules. 

Let's see how it works in a big state like Maharashtra.

BH Number Plate in Maharashtra: Local Rules

The rules for a BH number plate are the same all over India. But if you live in Maharashtra, you might want to know how it works in your state and your city. The good news is, it's very straightforward.

Is BH Plate Available in Pune RTO?

Yes, you can get a BH number plate from the RTO in Pune. The process is the same as anywhere else in Maharashtra.

When you apply online (or through a dealer), after your application is approved, you will get a notice. You then have to visit your nearest RTO in Pune to collect the physical number plate and fix it on your vehicle. 

So, the Pune RTO handles BH plates just like it handles regular state plates.

What Are Maharashtra-Specific BH Requirements?

There are no special extra rules only for Maharashtra. The state follows the exact same national guidelines.

This means:

1. Eligibility is the same: You must be a government employee, defence personnel, or a private sector employee of a company with offices in four or more states.
2. Tax rates are the same: You pay the standard BH road tax (8%, 10%, or 12%) based on your car's price.
3. The process is the same: You apply online through the Parivahan portal or with help from a car dealer.

In short, if you are eligible for a BH plate anywhere in India, you are eligible in Maharashtra. You just use the Pune or Mumbai RTO for the final step instead of an RTO in another state.

Now, even with clear rules, people sometimes face problems when applying. Let's look at the common challenges and why applications get rejected.

Common Challenges with BH Number Plate Application

Applying for a BH number plate is mostly online and simple, but sometimes applications get stuck or rejected. This usually happens because of small mistakes in the paperwork. Knowing these common problems can help you avoid them.

Why Do BH Applications Get Rejected?

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Your BH series application can get rejected by the RTO for a few clear reasons. It's almost always about your documents or your car's records.

Here are the most common problems:

1. Details don't match: The name or address on your Aadhaar card or PAN card is different from what is on your vehicle's Registration Certificate. Even a small spelling mistake can cause rejection.
2. Loan not closed on paper: If you bought your car on a loan, the bank has a 'hypothecation' mark on your RC. Even if you have finished all your loan payments, you need to get this mark removed officially by the bank. If the RC still shows an active loan, your BH application will be rejected.
3. Old owner's name is still there: If you bought a used car, sometimes the previous owner's name might not have been properly updated on the RC in the system. The RC must show you as the clear owner.
4. Missing NOC for out-of-state cars: If your car was originally registered in another state (like a KA car brought to MH), you need a No Objection Certificate from the original state's RTO. Forgetting to get or submit this NOC is a common reason for rejection.
5. Picking the wrong RTO: If you select the wrong RTO jurisdiction on the Parivahan portal, your application will go to the wrong office and get rejected.

The good news is that all these problems can be fixed. You just need to correct the document or update the record before applying again.

How to Track BH Number Plate Status?

Once you apply, you can check the status online. You track a BH number plate application the same way you track any normal vehicle RC status.

Follow these steps on the Parivahan portal:

1. Go to the Parivahan Sewa website.
2. Under 'Online Services', select 'Vehicle Related Services'.
3. Choose your state.
4. Enter your vehicle's application number (the number you got when you submitted the BH form).
5. Look for an option like 'Know Your Application Status' and click it.
6. The portal will show you the current status of your BH plate application.

You will not use a vehicle number here, because you don't have it yet. You use the application number from your submission.

Conclusion

Think of the BH number plate as a tool.

If you have a transferable job, it's the right tool that saves you time and money on repeated car paperwork. If you don't move states, it's an extra step you don't need.

For those it's meant for, it's a clear win.