Govt notifies new ‘BH’ registration series for personal vehicles

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways

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

Posted On: 28 AUG 2021 8:07AM by PIB Delhi

Government has taken a host of citizen centric steps to facilitate mobility. An IT based solution for vehicle registration is one such effort. However, one of the pain points in the vehicle registration process that needed attention was re-registration of a vehicle while moving to another state.

Station relocation occurs with both Government and private sector employees.  Such movements create a sense of unease in the minds of such employees with regard to transfer of registration from the parent state to another state as, 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.

A passenger vehicle user takes the following steps to re-register a vehicle:

(i) No Objection Certificate from the Parent State for assignment of a new registration mark in another state.

(ii) Assignment of new registration mark after the road tax on prorata basis is paid in the new State

(ii) Application for refund of the road tax in the parent State on pro rata basis.

This provision to get 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 Ministry of Road Transport & Highways vide notification dated 26 Aug 2021,  has introduced a new registration mark for new vehicles  i.e. “Bharat series (BH-series)”. A vehicle bearing this registration mark shall not require assignment of a new registration mark when the owner of the vehicle shifts from one State to another.

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)

This vehicle registration facility under “Bharat series (BH-series)” will be available on voluntary basis to Defense personnel, employees of Central Government/ State Government/Central/State Public Sector Undertakings and private sector companies/organizations, which have their offices in four or more States/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/UTs of India upon relocation to a new State/UT. 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.

GSR 594(E) 26 .08.2021 BH series registration mark Rules

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MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
NOTIFICATION

New Delhi, the 26th August, 2021

G.S.R. 594(E).—Whereas the draft rules further to amend the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, were published, as required under sub-section (1) of section 212 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (59 of 1988), vide notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways number G.S.R. 276 (E), dated the 06th April, 2021 in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part-II, Section 3, Sub-section (i) inviting objections and suggestions from affected persons before the expiry of the period of thirty days from the date on which copies of the Gazette containing the said notification were made available to public;

Whereas, copies of the said notification published in the Gazette were made available to the public on the 06th April, 2021;

And whereas, the objections and suggestions received from the public in respect of the said draft rules have been considered by the Central Government.

Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (a), clause (d) and clause (p) of section 64 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (59 of 1988), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules further to amend the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, namely:—

1. Short title and commencement.—(1) These rules may be called as the Central Motor Vehicles (Twentieth Amendment) Rules, 2021.

2. They shall come into force with effect from the 15th day of September, 2021.

2. In the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 (hereinafter referred to as the said rules), in rule 47, in sub-rule (1), after clause (c), the following clauses shall be inserted, namely:—

“(ca) working certificate in Form 60, in case the applicant working in private sector applies for BH-Series registration mark;

(cb) Official Identity Card, in case the applicant working in Government office applies for BH-series registration mark;”.

3. In the said rules, in rule 48, after sub-rule (1), the following proviso shall be inserted, namely:—

“Provided that, in case of application for registration of vehicle under BH series, opted voluntarily by the vehicle owner, the registration mark shall be generated randomly through the portal after verification of working certificate in Form 60 or Official identity card, as the case may be, by the registering authority.”

4. In the said rules, in rule 50, after sub-rule (7), the following sub-rule shall be inserted, namely:—

“(8) The registration mark for BH-series vehicle generated randomly through the portal shall be in black on white background and shall be exhibited in the following manner, namely:—

XX Last two digits of the year of registration

XX Bharat Series code (2) letters as “ BH”

#### XX 4 numerals 0001 to 9999 followed by letter(s) A, B, C …and then AA,AB…..AZ, BA, BB …..to ZZ excluding ‟I‟ & „O‟ ”.

5. In the said rules, after rule 51A, the following rule shall be inserted, namely:—

“51 B. Principle for motor vehicle tax.—(1) 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).

(2) 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, namely:—

Sr. No.	Invoice Price	Motor vehicle Tax (% of Invoice Price)	Remarks
1	Below Rs 10 lakh	8%	2% extra charge shall be levied for diesel vehicles. Electric vehicles shall be charged 2% less tax.
2	Rs 10-20 lakh	10%
3	Above Rs 20 lakh	12%

(3) In case, where the vehicle bears 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, in the following manner, namely:—

Motor Vehicle tax for two years for the vehicle under BH-series registration		Motor Vehicle tax as per Invoice Price * 1.25 *2 __________________________________                                         15 (Rounded to next integer)
Note:—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.

Provided that on and after fourteenth year from the date of first registration, the motor vehicle tax (Rounded to next integer) shall be levied annually which will be half of the tax as mentioned in sub-rule (3).”

6. In the said rules, in rule 54, after sub-rule (2), the following sub-rule shall be inserted, namely:—

“(3) This rule, shall not apply to a vehicle having BH- Series registration mark.

Provided that the owner of the vehicle bearing BH Series registration mark shall intimate the registering authority of his place of residence in Form 33, within thirty days, electronically through the portal, in case the vehicle is being kept in the State other than where the vehicle was earlier registered,”.

7. In the said rules, after Form 59A, the following Form shall be inserted, namely:—

“Form 60
[See rule 47(1) (ca)]
Working Certificate

To
The Registering Authority,
…………………………….
…………………………….

We hereby declare that ………………………… …………………………… S/o/D/o………………………… is working in our company/organization since……………………………. It is further to certify that we have offices in four States/UTs or more.

Signature or thumb impression of the Applicant
Signature of the Authorised Signatory of the Organisation
Name of the Authorised Signatory official seal”.

Date……………………………..

[F. No. RT-11036/48/2019 -MVL]
AMIT VARADAN, Jt. Secy.

Note: The principal rules were published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part-II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), vide notification number G.S.R. 590(E), dated the 2nd June, 1989 and lastly amended vide notification number G.S.R. 575(E), dated 11.08.2021.