[Paragddh]

Dear All,

I would like to share with you my simple, yet adventurous experience in getting a VIP / fancy number for my new vehicle.

Since I retain my vehicle for about more than 7 years, I thought it was important for me to get a number of my choice. Most of us, I am sure would like the same.

Dealer Experience -

After having made all payments to the dealer, I put forward my request for a fancy number. To my shock, the dealer (I would not like to name, as they all are same) asked for Rs. 15,000/- extra over & above the actual cost.

Since I had strongly made up my mind to get a number of my choice, I took up the challenge to do it on my own.

Step 1: Choose

Go to this govt. domain (https://parivahan.gov.in/fancy/faces/public/login.xhtml) and check for the series and numbers that are available. The cost for every individual fancy number is also mentioned.

Note - For Maharashtra, Mumbai in particular, you cannot buy fancy number online. You can only view what's available and at what cost (this changes on a daily basis).

Step 2: Go to the RTO Office yourself

Go to the respective RTO office yourself along with
1) Adhaar Card (original & 1 photo copy - for proof of your address) or
2) Passport
3) Carry the receipt received from dealer of payment / booking amount (also carry a photo copy of same to be submitted)
4) Fill up a form for fancy number (although the form was in Marathi, it was not very difficult to fill - only name, PAN, mobile no, e-mail ID and address are required along with your signature)
5) Go to the cashier to check if the number you want is available
6) After his written confirmation on the form, you need to go to the DO for his approval & stamp

Step 3: Payment

1) Any payment over Rs. 10,000/- has to be made by DD (payable to - "RTO Mumbai West" in my case)
2) Submit the DD with the form to the cashier
3) Collect allotment of your dream number
4) Give this allotment letter to your dealer for registration & wallah, your work is done!!

Kindly note:

1) You don't need to pay any bribe. Things are very simple and the RTO staff is very cooperative (don't panic or fear).
2) TAT - It took me about 2 hours to get my number. I wasted time in preparing the DD going to and fro from the RTO to the bank. Had I known that a DD was required, I would have been well prepared. The overall time will be less than 20 minutes if you reach by 10.00 am and have a DD ready (any payment above Rs.10,000/- has to be made by DD only).
3) The allotment is valid for a period of 30 days only. So, make your vehicle booking prior to that and collect the receipt and invoice and then start the above procedure.

You can get your dream number for your dream car and have lots of happy memories!

Cheers and all the best.

Regards.

[anjan_c2007]

Well said ! In Maharashtra its still quite a clean set-up as compared to many other states. There is corruption, nepotism etc etc too. Many cases emerge to our horror from time to time. But these are quite minuscule compared to the volume of work and the turnover (in Rs) undertaken by the Maharashtra RTO offices.

I too had a very good experience, but had done it manually after going to their office and getting the number of my choice allocated, even before the new SUV was delivered. I had paid in full for it of course. I guess some politicians might have been offended due to my grabbing this number and not finding this particular VIP number on offer only a few weeks after this series had commenced.

I also take time out and have got done fitness (post 15 years) for my two old cars and two old two-wheelers very recently all by myself, without any middlemen.

All at Nagpur RTO office.

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by Paragddh

1) You don't need to pay any bribe, Things are very simple and RTO staff are very cooperative. (don't panic or fear)

I experienced similar experience when I registered my car (related thread). Good to see others going proactively to the RTO and avoiding agents, etc.

Car dealerships will overcharge on RTO fees, even for choice number. While some charge just 100-500 bucks extra, but costlier the car, higher is this excess amount. In such cases it's simply better to get things done on your own.

Also, since you mention DD, most RTOs will have some bank in their premises or in the vicinity. If you take the cash, for a very nominal fee, they will issue you a DD almost in no time.

Another advantage is quick work. Asking an agent / car dealer to do this will take more time for sure. In my case I was issued the number same day. If I had taken help of an agent, it was easily a 2-3 day affair. Today, most RTOs being online does help a lot. I just wish MH RTO comes under the online fancy number system soon.

[Paragddh]

Thank you Blackwasp,

In Mumbai West RTO there is no Bank in their premise. and also they will accept only DD for payments above 10K. DD can be of any Bank.

Will post my first experience of vehicle delivery soon.
as this was another good story as to how the accessories department of dealers over charge / loot you for basic accessories like mats and mudflaps.

[ShivrajG]

Thank You Paragddh. This is indeed informative since I wanted to have the same old number in the new car that I purchase. This actually tells me how much is the actual cost and how to plan. Even we caqn negotiate with the dealer on knowing the prices (for those who dont even have those 20 minutes )

[Cooltronics]

Just when I was about to share the same experience.

We recently bought 2 cars, one each in Ahmedabad and Bangalore. The dealer in Bangalore asked me for 30,000 INR for a number of my choice even if it means in the existing series set e.g. If currently 2300 series is going on and if I ask 2375, I have to pay 30K. Looked absurd and so I let it go.

Back in my town, where I have some contacts, I tried understanding the procedure and I paid 5,000 INR (Official Receipts from RTO) for choice of my Number and the SA helped me in getting the number.

This is what I understood
a) If your choice of number is not available in current series, wait for the new series to open up. Usually the advertisements will be published in local news paper
b) Go to https://parivahan.gov.in/fancy/ and you can select Choice Numbers
c) You can see the numbers list for 2W and 4W with price ( I was not sure the price changes daily)
d) Select your number, fill the form and you get it allocated


PS: For Karnataka, I do not see Bangalore RTOs

[maddyoni10]

Sadly TamilNadu is not even listed here to get a fancy number... Looks like we will have to go the corrupt way only.

[Tanveer_2558]

I had done the same back in 2014 in the Mumbai East RTO,

Guys! Like seriously, Go once to the RTO and see, I have been several times to the one at West and East both, And RTO guys are very helpful! They infact appreciate and treat you well knowing your the owner of the car and not an Agent! If you go with the proper documents and DD (You can also pay in cash if the amount is less than 50,000RS, last time i checked, However PAN card would be needed then) If you have everything needed, It won't take more than 30 minutes to get the number of your choice.


Also beware of the agents around! They literally try and scare you by saying things like,"are its a long process, Give it to me ill get it done", Trust me they would know that your not an agent.

Simply ask any of the RTO guys there, They are helpful !

[M00M]

Have done this process 2-3 times in mumbai. and once in surat gujarat. in fact in surat the process is even simpler.

Once the dealer gives you the papers you have to go physically to the RTO and there is que wherein you stand and ask for the number of your choice, the number if available will be given to you and written on your form and once you make payment, process is done.

In mumbai you have to go to 3 - 4 counters and spend 2 hours in surat it took me 30 mins in and out.

Maybe they can make this process online.

[Geo_Ipe]

Check out the Kerala MVD website:

https://mvd.kerala.gov.in/index.php/fancy-numbers

- One can book the number of one's choice by paying the base price of 3000/-
- Base price for fancy numbers like 6699 or 0001 is fixed higher
- If someone else books the same number, the particular number goes for auction
- If noone else books the number you want, the nember is yours at the base price!

Extremely practical and transparent!

[agspins]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

Well said ! In Maharashtra its still quite a clean set-up as compared to many other states. There is corruption, nepotism etc etc too. Many cases emerge to our horror from time to time. But these are quite minuscule compared to the volume of work and the turnover (in Rs) undertaken by the Maharashtra RTO offices.

I too had a very good experience, but had done it manually after going to their office and getting the number of my choice allocated, even before the new SUV was delivered. I had paid in full for it of course. I guess some politicians might have been offended due to my grabbing this number and not finding this particular VIP number on offer only a few weeks after this series had commenced.

I also take time out and have got done fitness (post 15 years) for my two old cars and two old two-wheelers very recently all by myself, without any middlemen.

All at Nagpur RTO office.

In 2014 when i went for the Choice number, process was very simple as Anjan Sir suggested, i too got my no reserved by paying the amount even before i took the delivery of my Car.
Now i find things a bit complicated, as i tried for my Two wheeler last year.

[PrasannaDhana]

Originally Posted by maddyoni10

Sadly TamilNadu is not even listed here to get a fancy number... Looks like we will have to go the corrupt way only.

Not exactly.

I got a number of my choice by just paying 3k fees at the RTO. You will have to choose from 1000 numbers in the running series.

For cars over 10 lakh ex showroom the fee went up to 16k .
You can verify the current running series from a simple Google search of your RTO.

[ruzbehxyz]

Dear Paragddh,
This is a nice thread that you have started. And many thanks for posting the procedure. RTO's will take time to get everything online for the simple reason that the officers will not get any money when everything gets online. Let's hope for the best.

[behaln]

Procedure is very straight forward in Delhi as well, I got it done for my last two purchases online only. I just gave the slip of the confirmation of the fancy number to the dealership and their clerk took it from there.

As Paragddh mentioned, the dealership had asked me 20k and 15k extra respectively, but the actual number had costed me only 15k on the website and INR 15 as bank transaction charges.

[Sahil]

Unfortunately my experience was not as smooth as most others here. I wanted to get the two double digit numbers from MH02 RTO
Sent someone from my office to handle the matter and first day they told him system is down, come next day. He promptly went the next day at 10.30am when the counter opened, the guy claimed all double digit numbers are taken. Any number you want now will cost 25k receipt. I had checked online and these numbers costed 5k. My chap tried every trick in the book and gave up, the guy at the counter told him ask an agent or your car dealer to get the number for you.
Finally, the dealer obliged to send his person via his agent to get it done without charging me a service fee. He sent me a list of over a dozen double double digit numbers with the series, something the counter guy told my office guy that there were none. Landed up paying Rs.7500 receipt for number 8833. Although online it showed 5000 for all such numbers.

It’s frustrating how systems work in this country even when they claim it is totally “computerised”. The guys working the RTO counter compel you to use an agent to grease their palms by lying and inconveniencing you.

They ought to just shift these simple tasks completely online, let people pay via credit card and. Allot their number receipts.