This is Part 5 of the Car & Bike Owner's Guide, our 20-part series on owning, running and staying legal with a vehicle in India. New here? Start with Part 1: Choosing Your First Car, or read the previous part, Part 4: Vehicle Documents.
Every vehicle on Indian roads carries two proofs of identity: the number plate on the outside and the Registration Certificate (RC) in its records. Both have changed a lot in recent years.
What is an HSRP?
A High Security Registration Plate is a tamper-resistant number plate designed to make vehicle theft and fake plates harder. Its features include:
- An aluminium plate with an embossed border and characters.
- A chromium-based hologram of the Ashoka Chakra on the top left.
- A unique laser-etched serial number.
- "IND" lettering in blue.
- Non-reusable snap locks, so the plate cannot be removed and refitted easily.
Vehicles also get a third registration mark, a self-destructive sticker on the windscreen that shows the registration details and uses colour to indicate the fuel type.
Who needs one
- All new vehicles sold since April 2019 come with HSRP fitted by the dealer.
- Older vehicles must be retrofitted. Deadlines and enforcement vary by state.
- Book through the official portal your state uses, and avoid unofficial agents.
What the plate colours mean
- White with black letters: Private vehicles.
- Yellow with black letters: Commercial vehicles such as taxis.
- Green: Electric vehicles, with white letters for private and yellow for commercial.
- Black with yellow letters: Self-drive rental vehicles.
- Blue: Vehicles of foreign diplomats.
- The BH series has its own format. See Part 6: BH Series and Moving States.
Your RC: what it shows
The RC records the owner, address, engine and chassis numbers, fuel type, colour, registration date and validity. A private vehicle's registration is valid for 15 years, after which it must be renewed.
- Selling a vehicle: The ownership transfer must be recorded with the RTO through the Vahan portal. Until it is done, the seller can be held responsible for the vehicle. See our guide to selling your used car.
- Loan paid off? Get the lender's hypothecation removed from the RC.
- Moved home? Update the address, and if you moved state, read Part 6: BH Series and Moving States.
Keep a digital RC in DigiLocker. See Part 4: Vehicle Documents.
Rules, fees and fines here reflect central rules as of October 2026. States can set their own procedures and compounding amounts, and rules change, so check the Parivahan portal, your state transport department or your RTO before acting.
Next in the series: Part 6: BH Series and Moving States.
