BH Series Number Plate 2026: Eligibility, Documents and Online Application

If your job moves you across states, you know the pain: new RTO, new registration number, road tax paid again, and a long fight for a refund from the old state. The bh series number plate was introduced to end exactly that cycle. It is a pan-India registration category that stays with your vehicle wherever you move, and you pay road tax in small 2-year blocks instead of one big lifetime lump sum.

Who Is Eligible for a BH Series Number Plate?

BH (Bharat) series registration is voluntary but restricted. MoRTH says you qualify if you belong to any of these categories:

• Defence personnel, posted to different states through their careers.
• Central Government employees (ministries, departments, government-owned banks).
• State Government employees of any state or union territory.
• Central or State PSU employees.
• Private sector employees whose employer has offices in four or more states or union territories. The company does not have to be huge. It only needs offices or branches in 4+ states or UTs, confirmed in writing by your employer.

BH registration is meant for people in transferable jobs. If you are eligible, consider it before buying your next car or bike.

BH Series Number Plate Format Decoded

Every BH registration number follows the same pattern: YY BH #### XX. Here is what each part means:

• YY: last two digits of the year of first registration. A vehicle registered in 2026 shows 26.
• BH: the code for the Bharat series, marking the vehicle as registered pan-India.
• ####: a random four-digit number from 0000 to 9999.
• XX: two random alphabets, from AA to ZZ.

A real example looks like 26 BH 4821 KQ. The number is generated randomly through the portal, so you cannot choose a fancy or VIP number under BH. If a specific lucky number is what you want, see how fancy number plate auctions work instead. BH vehicles still get a physical HSRP plate fitted at the dealership, like any new vehicle. Our HSRP number plate guide explains that system.

BH Series Road Tax: Slabs and How They Work

Instead of paying road tax once for the vehicle’s lifetime (usually 15 years upfront), you pay it in blocks of 2 years or multiples of 2 years, on the invoice price excluding GST, under Rule 51B of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules.

Two adjustments apply: diesel vehicles pay an extra 2%, while electric vehicles get a 2% reduction. Since each payment covers only 2 years, what you hand over at registration is a fraction of a lifetime lump sum.

Two caveats. After the 14th year, the tax becomes payable annually at half the earlier amount. Also, the Kerala High Court has ruled that motor vehicle tax is a state subject, so confirm the current rate with your state’s RTO or dealer before buying.

Documents Required for BH Registration

• Form 60: the employer declaration or working certificate. For private employees this is the key document, a letter on company letterhead confirming your employment and that the company has offices in 4+ states or UTs. Government, PSU and defence employees can submit their office ID card copy instead.
• Form 20: the standard application for registration of a motor vehicle. The BH series option is selected instead of the regular state series.
• Identity proof: Aadhaar, PAN, passport or driving licence.
• Address proof: Aadhaar, or a rent agreement plus a utility bill.
• Vehicle invoice, insurance papers, and the road tax payment receipt.

How to Apply for a BH Series Number Plate on Parivahan

In practice the dealer handles this, but here is what happens:

1. Buy from a BH-enabled dealership. Tell the dealer at booking time that you want BH series registration and that you are eligible.
2. Submit your eligibility proof. Hand over your Form 60 working certificate (private employees) or office ID card copy (government, PSU, defence), plus ID and address proofs.
3. Form 20 is filed on the Vahan portal. The dealer logs in to parivahan.gov.in, fills Form 20 for your new vehicle and selects the BH series option. The number is generated randomly, so no one can pick a specific number.
4. Pay road tax for 2 years. Based on your invoice price and fuel type, the portal calculates the 2-year BH road tax, paid online.
5. Number allotment and RC. The RTO issues the number in YY BH #### XX format, your Registration Certificate is issued, and the dealer fits the HSRP plate before delivery.

Moving States With a BH Vehicle

When you shift states, a BH-registered vehicle does not need a new registration mark. No NOC, no re-registration, no refund chase. The same number stays with the vehicle for its life, which also keeps your insurance, PUC and loan records consistent.

What you must remember is the 2-year road tax cycle. Pay the next block before the current one expires, directly on the Parivahan portal: Online Services, then Pay Your Tax, enter your registration number and the last five digits of your chassis number, and pay for 2 years or multiples of 2. Set a reminder, since expired BH tax draws the same challan as any expired road tax.

If you sell: the buyer must either be BH-eligible or re-register the vehicle in their state by paying the applicable road tax for the remaining period. The seller needs an NOC from the original state even for a BH vehicle.

BH Series vs Normal Registration: Quick Pros and Cons

Pros: no re-registration when you move states, no road tax refund claims, tax split into small 2-year payments, and one permanent number.

Cons: restricted eligibility, currently available only for new, privately owned, non-transport vehicles (MoRTH has proposed allowing conversions of existing vehicles, but that is not formalised yet), no fancy number choice, and selling is slightly more complex since the buyer must be eligible or re-register.

Frequently Asked Questions