high security registration plate format

What Is A High-Security Registration Plate?

A high-security registration plate? Makes you wonder right? Because the plate itself is affixed to the car with the help of something as rudimental as screws. But all that is about to change. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways made amendments in the Central Motor Vehicle Rules to make such plates mandatory for all vehicles sold after April 1st, 2019 to be affixed with this new type of registration plates. So what exactly do these new plates look like, why this new rule, and how are they different than the ones we have on our existing vehicles?

High security registration plate in India

Why Does My Vehicle Need A High-Security Registration Plate?

No longer will the vehicle owner be able to paint the licence plate in his own colours, font or language. The new rule mandates that dealers will be supplied with these new high-security plates by the manufacturer, along with the vehicle. Once a sale is processed, the dealer will then stamp the allocated registration number on the plates and fix them on the vehicle. According to the Ministry of Road Transport, this move will help in easy tracking of lost and stolen vehicles and curb theft.

A manufacturer of the motor vehicles will have to ensure that the requisite infrastructure required for placing the mark of registration on the security licence plates and printing the third registration plate is available with their dealers. Also, the cost of a high-security registration plate and its affixture on the vehicle after placing the mark registration will be included in the price of the new vehicle. So if your dealer asks for an additional amount, you know it will be against the rules.

What Does The New High-Security Registration Plate Look Like?

The high-security registration plates are hot-stamped with a chromium-based hologram of the size 20 mm x 20 mm on the top left corner which also features the Ashoka Chakra in Blue. At the bottom of the same corner, a 10-digit permanent identification number with the letter size being 5 mm is etched with a laser. A hot-stamping film with ‘India’ inscribed on it in Blue, will be applied on the letters, and numerals will be covered with the same inscription too. The letters “INDIA” will be of the font size 10 (Ten) in Type Arial Bold script at a 45 degrees’ inclination with sequential lines being the mirror image of the other. The picture above is from the official gazette circulated by the Ministry.

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Besides the actual registration plates, a chromium hologram sticker will be affixed on the bottom-left corner of the windshield from the inside. This will contain details like the 10-digit Pin, engine and chassis number, the registering authority, date of first registration of the vehicle and the actual registration number. The background colour for the self-destructive type chromium-based hologram sticker for Diesel vehicles will be Orange and Light Blue for Petrol and CNG vehicles. For all other vehicles, the background will be grey in colour. The sticker will be required to be a diffraction foil film with a high reflective index and should have the chromium-based hologram embedded.

Coming back to the high-security registration plates, these will be held in place by at least two fasteners which are non-removable and cannot be reused. The new plates will come with a minimum 5-year guarantee, wherein, if it breaks, the letters or numerals wither or if there’s any other naturally-occurring damage, the dealer who fitted the plate will have to replace it.

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Can A High-Security Registration Plate Be Affixed On Old Vehicles?

Existing vehicles can also opt for HSRP but only once old plates have been surrendered and destroyed. How can this be done? The state of Goa, for example, has granted a tender to a third-party vendor, who will manufacture these plates, and vehicle owners can then get these plates embossed at State-authorized embossing centres. Manufacturers will have to keep a proper record of the registration plates issued, which will be maintained on a daily basis by the manufacturer or the dealer. The unique high-security registration plate will also be linked electronically to the vehicle after its affixture on the vehicle post registration.

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