What are the new BH series registration plates for vehicles?

Source: This post is based on the article “New BH series registration plates for vehicles” published in Indian Express on 1st September 2021.

What is the News?

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has notified Bharat series of “BH” series of registration to ensure seamless transfer of vehicles across states.

What is the Existing system?

1. Currently, under Section 47 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, a vehicle can reside in another state with the same registration for 12 months during which it has to be re-registered in the new state.
2. To get re-registered, the vehicle has to first get a No Objection Certificate(NOC) from the state where the vehicle is currently registered.
3. Moreover, when one had earlier bought and registered a new personal vehicle in the parent state, the state had charged the road tax upfront for the whole registered life of the vehicle, which is 15 years.
4. But when this same vehicle relocates to another state after say five years, the parent state has to refund the remaining 10 years of road tax it has already received. This provision to get a refund from the parent state is a very cumbersome process and varies from one state to another.

What is the BH Series?

Read the following article:

• Government introduces a new registration mark for new vehicles “Bharat series (BH-series)” to facilitate seamless transfer of vehicles

How is the new BH Series different from the existing system?

1. The new system amends Rule 47 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989. It now says that vehicles bearing the BH registration mark will not require to be re-registered in a new state once it relocates.
2. Moreover, vehicles registered under the BH system will be levied road tax for two years and in multiple of two thereafter, instead of the owner paying for the whole amount of 15 years worth of road tax upfront. This frees the owner from having to seek a refund before or after relocation because the tax has not been prepaid.