[TusharK]

The transport department has come up with a draft proposal, which if approved would allow transfer of old registration number to the new car or 2-wheeler.



Those who wish to use their old registration plates on their new car or 2-wheeler will be able to do so by submitting an application online. The proposed processing fee for cars is Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 500 for scooters and motorcycles. However, this amount is yet to be finalized and is pending cabinet approval. Once the payment is made online, a slip will be generated, and the number will be registered. The registration number then will have to be sent to the dealer, who will enter it into the system. Later, you will have to go to the MLO who will issue a different number for the old vehicle.

Currently, the transport department receives 5-7 applications per day, but this number is expected to rise once the scheme is fully implemented. Further, a total of 4 VIP number categories have been finalized including one which allows owners to have personalized numbers of their choice.

Source: ET Auto

Link to Team-BHP News

[SJM1214]

Isn't this a regular practice in Haryana? I have noticed many odd-looking number plates in Harayana (Karnal). When I inquired about that, locals explained to me that, it's an old vehicle's number transferred to the new vehicle.

[aadya]

A welcome move. Some of us spend a significant amount of money and effort in getting a number of our choice(I have never done so far but many of my friends/relatives do). And all goes in vain when they change the vehicle or they stick on to an old vehicle just for the sake of number.
With a common network for Numbers and traffic offences this becomes easy and traceable if somebody opt for transferring the number.

[mints21]

The rule is in existence even today. It is just that there is lack of awareness that such a registration number swap or registration number retention is available.

It becomes more significant these days because the premium numbers are auctioned and the amount spent on getting such numbers exceeds the cost of the vehicle in some cases. So when a person decides to sell the vehicle he can transfer the existing registration number to his new vehicle and the old vehicle will get any number from the running series of that particular transport authority.

As per the current rule, for retaining the number the new vehicle should be registered in the name of the same owner. It should not be hypothecated and should have been in the name of the existing owner for a period of three years in New Delhi.

I have been retaining the numbers of my cars for years now. The process is lengthy and quite cumbersome.

In New Delhi, it is done only at the Rajpur Road transport authority which starts with series DL 1C.

Once a person applies for the retention of the number then they will start the process of registering the new car that the person is buying. The person will then have to wait for the new Registration certificate and once he gets the RC he is asked to bring both the new and old car for number swapping. Then both the registration certificates are swapped with each other. It normally takes 10-15 days. Police clearance report of the existing vehicle is also needed.

[Shome]

So what happens to the old car whose number has been transferred to the new vehicle? Will that have to be re-registered? And how do you sell off the old car then?

[ashutoshb]

The news is Delhi specific. They are quoting the Delhi Transport Department.

[mints21]

Originally Posted by Shome

So what happens to the old car whose number has been transferred to the new vehicle? Will that have to be re-registered? And how do you sell off the old car then?

The old car gets the new number which originally was supposed to be for the new car. The old car does not require re-registration and it can be sold in the market like any other car.

The Registration Certificate of the car will have the words "SWP" indicating swapped written on it. Some states also mention the complete old number that has been swapped with the new one while issuing fresh RC's.

As on date there is no fee in Delhi for swapping the number, while in Uttar Pradesh it is Rs. 25000/- even for numbers that are priced lower than this amount. So, only people having numbers that are difficult and expensive to bid go for the number swap.

I have been given to understand that in Punjab, the transport department normally charge 50% of reserve price of the premium number for swapping with the new vehicle.

Originally Posted by ashutoshb

The news is Delhi specific. They are quoting the Delhi Transport Department.

It appears to be Delhi specific. Actually the news that ET carried on this subject has no meaning. The law exists, anyone who is fond of numbers would know how to get them. I have seen the dealers guiding the newbie's on how to bid and approach them with the slip.

What is new is the proposed processing fee in Delhi which does not exists as on date.

[UB_007]

This is a common scene in Germany and I always wished in India we could do this. The number always stays with the owner and not with the car.
What basically happens here is, when we sell our car we are obliged to de-register the numbers at transport office and keep the plates. When we buy a new car we register these numbers with new papers.
Similarly the owner who bought our car will have his or her own number plates.

However in India if we de-register and keep the number to our-self, we may have to wait longer for a prospective owner who already has a spare number plate to register.

-UB

[chaudh2s]

Originally Posted by mints21

The old car gets the new number which originally was supposed to be for the new car. The old car does not require re-registration and it can be sold in the market like any other car.

The Registration Certificate of the car will have the words "SWP" indicating swapped written on it. Some states also mention the complete old number that has been swapped with the new one while issuing fresh RC's.

Its not like that in haryana, the old/donor car gets HR70 series number, not the regular hr26 (gurgaon), hr05(karnal) types. The RC too doesn't get 'SWP' marked like you mentioned. Though, the earlier number do gets a mention. I have recently got transferred the numbers from 2 of my older cars to the new ones i purchased in haryana. There is no special payment that needs to be done, except the road tax for new car and the processing charges(500-1000 rs types).

[Rahul Rao]

In Maharashtra there is a charge of Rs 25960 including taxes for number migration, when I had inquired at Pune RTO, the answer was the provision exists, but we will have to ask sir how to do it.

Rahul

[Hawkeye269]

Originally Posted by TusharK

The transport department has come up with a draft proposal, which if approved would allow transfer of old registration number to the new car or 2-wheeler.

Originally Posted by SJM1214

Isn't this a regular practice in Haryana?

Originally Posted by mints21

The rule is in existence even today. It is just that there is lack of awareness that such a registration number swap or registration number retention is available.

Originally Posted by mints21

It appears to be Delhi specific. Actually the news that ET carried on this subject has no meaning. The law exists, anyone who is fond of numbers would know how to get them.

As has been pointed out by others, many states permit vehicle owners to retain registration numbers and transfer them to new cars (with or without a processing fee).

Having said that, there are some states which do not allow this, notably Bihar. The number "BRA 111" has been in the family for more than half a century. It used to be transferred to a new Fiat every 2-4 years by my late grandfather. However, my father has been saddled with a Maruti Esteem as a hardly-ever-used second car for years because Bihar stopped allowing such transfers sometime back. The car just lies in the garage since we can't bring ourselves to lose the iconic number ("BR" for Bihar, "A" for Patna, and "111" because I think "1" had been allotted to the then Chief Minister).

Originally Posted by UB_007

This is a common scene in Germany and I always wished in India we could do this. The number always stays with the owner and not with the car.

Many jurisdictions go one step further and allow you to retain personalised number plates as well. This is fairly common across most (all?) of the states in the U.S. For instance, my Audi Q7 had "IND 111" plates (see my garage / profile pic). No prizes for guessing why I substituted "IND" for "BRA"!!

[veedub89]

This happens in Chandigarh all the time.
People who want a fancy number, go as far as buying old scrapped vehicles/scooters and transfer those numbers, usually the three alphabet and three digit variety, to their new car.
Some retain their current numbers like for example the CH 01 series and transfer that number to the car they have upgraded to.

[greendream]

Any idea if this convenience already exists in AndhraPradesh and Telangana.
I have come across many people who still repent not getting a fancy number like the one of the car they sold.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Shome

So what happens to the old car whose number has been transferred to the new vehicle?

From the same source article:

1. Make the payment online on the website of transport department. After the payment is done, a slip will be generated, and your number will get registered.

2. Then that number has to be taken to the dealer, who will feed it in system and you'll get the same number for your new vehicle.

3. After this you will have to go to MLO, who will issue a different number to your old vehicle.

Originally Posted by mints21

while in Uttar Pradesh it is Rs. 25000/- even for numbers that are priced lower than this amount.

Originally Posted by Rahul Rao

In Maharashtra there is a charge of Rs 25960 including taxes for number migration

You can get good numbers for far less than that amount. Here, it only makes sense if you have a single number like 1 or 9 (the top choices for VIPs).

[drmohitg]

I think the thread title is misleading. The process already exists and I got it done last year in Delhi. The same was also documented here in another thread dealing with the same topic but I am unable to find it at the moment on my phone app. I guess maybe they are trying to just shift this whole thing online and make it more convenient. Nevertheless I am sure you will still need to visit the RTO for physical verification of your old car.

Edit: found the link to the parallel thread.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/showthread.php?t=86719