Re-registration of vehicles in new state made easy with BH series number plates: How to apply, calculate tax

KEY STORY

• The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) introduced the Bharat (BH) series number plates on August 28, 2021. The new series of number plates is aimed at making the process of re-registration of vehicles in a new state smooth for those who are frequently required to relocate on account of work.

• Re-registration of vehicles was one of the sore points while relocating to another state, which was eliminated after the introduction of pan India BH series number plates. Such movements create a sense of unease in the minds of such employees with regard to the transfer of registration from the parent state to another state. Under section 47 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, a person is allowed to keep the vehicle for not more than 12 months in any state other than the state where the vehicle is registered, but a new registration with the new state- registering authority has to be made within the stipulated time of 12 months.

  How to re-register vehicle in another state

No-Objection Certificate from the parent state is needed for the assignment of a new registration mark in another state. Assignment of the new registration mark is done after the road tax is paid in the new State on pro rata basis. Application for refund of the road tax in the parent state on pro-rata basis is done. This provision to get a refund from the parent state on pro-rata basis is a very cumbersome process and varies from one state to another. In order to facilitate seamless transfer of vehicles, the MoRTH on August 26 2021, introduced a new registration mark for new vehicles— the Bharat series(BH-series). A vehicle bearing this registration mark shall not require the assignment of a new registration mark when the owner of the vehicle shifts from one state to another.

The registration mark for BH-series vehicle generated randomly through the portal shall be in black on a white background and shall be exhibited in the following manner:

It is to be noted that vehicle registration facilities under BH-series will be available on a voluntary basis to defence personnel, employees of centra, state governments or employees of central or state public sector companies and private sector companies, which have their offices in four or more states or Union territories.

The motor vehicle tax will be levied for two years or in multiple of two. This scheme will facilitate free movement of personal vehicles across states on relocation to a new state. After completion of the fourteenth year, the motor vehicle tax shall be levied annually which shall be half of the amount which was charged earlier for that vehicle.

Process of registration for BH series number

–At the time of purchasing a new vehicle, the dealer will fill up the online application Form-20 on the Vahan portal on behalf of the owner

– Selection of Series Type – Dealer needs to select the series type as Bharat Series

–Required document – Dealer will upload the Working Cerificate (Form-60)/ Official Id-Card along with other documents

–Approval for the BH-series application to be done by the RTO

–Pay online required Fee/ MV Tax (Initial for 2 years)

After the above steps are completed, post-approval, the Vahan 4 will generate the BH series number randomly in currently running all India series. Subsequently, the vehicle owner will need to pay 2-2 years MV tax till the vehicle age of 14 years from the date of first registration and after 14 years the MV tax shall be paid annually online.

Motor Vehicle Tax calculation (BH series)

In case of fully built non-transport vehicles, the motor vehicle tax shall be calculated electronically through the portal on the basis of invoice price excluding Goods and Services Tax (GST). The Motor Vehicle Tax levied by the States or Union Territories at the time of registration in respect of BH – Series non-transport vehicles shall be the following:

In case, where the vehicle bears the BH-Series registration mark, the motor vehicle tax shall be levied electronically through the portal for two years, or in multiples of two, as the case may be. For Motor Vehicle tax for two years for the vehicle under BH-series registration will be calculated as: (Motor Vehicle tax as per Invoice Pricex1.25 x2)/15. After seven days from the due date of payment of motor vehicle tax, an additional fee of one hundred rupees per day shall be levied in case of delay in payment of road tax.

Format of Bharat series (BH-series) Registration Mark

Registration Mark Format: – YY BH #### XX

YY – Year of first registration

BH- Code for Bharat Series ####- 0000 to 9999 (randomized)

XX- Alphabets (AA to ZZ)