The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has introduced a new registration mark for motor vehicles. The new vehicle registration mark will be available on a voluntary basis. The BH mark will be available for Defence Personnel, Central and State Government employees. The new registration mark will also be available for Private sector employees. But the company must have branches in four or more states and union territories.
The new series number plate, known as the Bharat series, comes with the code BH. The number plate will be in a specific format that easily differentiates the Bharat series number plate from the conventional mark. The format will be YY-BH-####-AA (Year-BH-Number-Alphabets) on a black on white background. According to the gazette notification, the new registration mark will come into effect from 15th September 2021.
The new BH series number plate will ensure the free movement of motor vehicles throughout the country. Owners of the car need not re-register their vehicles in the new state as per current law. But the BH number will come with two years of tax, and the tax will be levied in multiples of two, unlike the 15-year tax on most state registrations. After the end of the 14th year, the authorities will charge the BH number vehicle road tax every year, which will be half of what was paid last year.
Currently, vehicle owners who relocate from one state need to re-register their vehicles in the new state. As per law, the vehicle must re-register in the new state within a year from entry. The vehicle owner must also pay the vehicle’s tax on a pro-rata basis, and the authorities will refund the remaining tax on a pro-rata from the previous state. The new BH series will make life easier for the motor vehicle owner who relocates to different states.
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