DL12 RTO and the full Delhi zonal code list

Every Delhi number plate starts with DL and a zone number, and that number tells you which of the capital’s 13 transport offices holds the file. This page, part of our driving licence guide, walks through each code people search for.

What is the DL12 RTO?

The DL12 RTO is the zonal office of the Delhi Transport Department for South West Delhi District II. The code list places it at the DTC Depot, Vasant Vihar. Any car, scooter or other vehicle first registered from an address in that zone carries DL 12 on its plate, followed by a series letter and four digits.

Why Delhi calls it a zone, not a district RTO

Delhi is a single city-state, so its transport department splits the territory into zonal offices instead of district RTOs. Locals often call each one an “authority”. DL 12 is the second of two zones carved out of the south-west, which is why its name ends in “II”.

What the DL 12 office handles

It approves registrations, transfers, RC changes, hypothecation entries and NOCs for its area. Most of these start online on Vahan or Sarathi.

Which areas fall under DL 12?

DL 12 covers the south-western belt between the airport road and the Qutub area. The code list names Vasant Vihar, Vasant Kunj, Delhi Cantt, Moti Bagh, RK Puram, Munirka, Sarojini Nagar, Safdarjung Enclave, Green Park, Ghitorni, Mahipalpur, Rajokri, Mehrauli, Sultanpur and Chhatarpur. If your address is in one of these, your vehicle file sits here.

DL 12 localities at a glance

Neighbouring zones people confuse with DL 12

Dwarka, Palam and Najafgarh are also in the south-west, but they belong to DL 9. Hauz Khas, Malviya Nagar and Saket go to DL 3 at Sheikh Sarai. A Green Park resident and a Hauz Khas resident can live a kilometre apart and still have different codes.

Where is DL 12 office located?

The code list gives the DL 12 location as the DTC Depot, Vasant Vihar. We could not find a full postal address, phone number or timing for this office that an official page confirms, so we do not print one. Look up the current address in the zonal office list on the Delhi Transport Department website.

A directory mistake to ignore

One widely copied directory prints a Burari address against DL 12. Burari is in north Delhi, far from Vasant Vihar, so that entry is wrong. Burari is a testing site; our page on the Burari RTO office explains what happens there.

Check the slip, not a blog

When Vahan or Sarathi books a visit, the appointment slip names the office. That slip is the most reliable address you will get, and it reflects any shift made after the 2026 reorganisation of district transport offices.

What is the Delhi RTO code list?

The Delhi RTO code list is the set of 13 zonal codes, DL 1 to DL 13, that the Delhi Transport Department uses for vehicle registration. Each code maps to one office and one slice of a revenue district as it stood when the code was issued. The table below gives the office location and a few areas for every code.

All 13 Delhi codes with office and district

Why the numbers do not follow the map

Codes were issued as zones opened, not in map order, so DL 12 (south-west) sits between DL 11 (north-west) and DL 13 (east).

How do you find your zone in the code list?

Start with the police station or colony in your address proof, then match it to the area column of the list. The zone that holds your vehicle is the one whose locality list contains your address, not the office you happen to live closest to. Where a colony sits on a boundary, the appointment slip settles it.

Use your existing RC

If you already own a vehicle, the code on its RC tells you the zone that held your address at the time of registration. For a new purchase from the same address, expect the same code unless boundaries have been redrawn.

When boundaries change

Delhi reorganised its revenue districts in December 2025, and an order aligning district transport offices with them took effect from April 2026. Existing plate codes stay as they are; only where new files are processed may differ.

Is there a Delhi RTO code list PDF?

We could not find an official Delhi RTO code list PDF that maps every code to its areas. The Transport Department publishes circulars and office notices as PDFs on its website, and the zonal office list there is the official reference.

Make your own copy

The 13-row table on this page prints cleanly on one sheet. Use your browser’s print option and choose “Save as PDF” if you want an offline copy, then check it against the department site once a year.

Be careful with old lists

Older PDFs often show addresses that have since moved, so treat their phone numbers as unconfirmed.

Is there a DL14 RTO in Delhi?

The published Delhi list stops at DL 13, and we found no DL14 RTO zonal code in it. People search for DL 14 for two reasons: they assume there must be a fourteenth zone, or they have seen “DL14” at the start of a driving licence number. Neither one means a vehicle registration office called DL 14.

DL 14 on a driving licence

A licence number has 15 characters: a 2-letter state code, a 2-digit office code, the 4-digit year of issue and a 7-digit serial. So “DL14” on a licence is DL plus an office code used by the licence system. We could not confirm which office that code belongs to. Our page on the driving licence number example breaks the format down.

How to settle it for your licence

Enter the licence number on Sarathi’s licence status page. The result shows the issuing authority, which tells you the office that actually holds your record.

What is the DL 1 RTO?

The DL 1 RTO is the North Delhi zonal office at Mall Road, Vishwavidyalaya, near Delhi University. Its area includes Civil Lines, Pratap Bagh, Kotwali, Mori Gate, Majnu Ka Tila, Gulabi Bagh, Red Fort, Sarai Rohilla, Yamuna Bazar, Roop Nagar, Inder Lok, Maurice Nagar, Sadar Bazar and Shakti Nagar.

The office behind Delhi’s public fleet

The code list says most public service and first responder vehicles, apart from e-rickshaws, are registered under DL 1. That is why so many buses, ambulances, autos and taxis in every part of the city show DL 1 even when they never go near Mall Road.

Which letters DL 1 uses

DL 1 uses a long run of letters to separate vehicle classes. The table below lists the main ones.

Which letters follow the zone number?

The letters after the zone number show what kind of vehicle it is. C marks private cars and S marks scooters and motorcycles in every zone. Commercial and public vehicles take other letters such as T, R or P. Once a series fills up, a second letter is added, which is how plates like DL 3CAB appear.

Letters beyond C and S in later zones

The code list notes that offices DL 10 to DL 13 often move private vehicles to letters such as A, P or D after the C and S series run out, because longer sequences would not fit the 10-character number.

Is DL01 RTO the same as DL 1?

Yes. DL01 RTO and DL 1 are the same North Delhi office. Plates in Delhi usually show the single digit, as in DL 1C, while Vahan, insurance portals and some apps pad the zone to two digits and write DL01.

Which form to type in Vahan

Type the number exactly as it appears on your RC. If a search with “DL1” fails, try the padded “DL01” form, because some third-party tools normalise numbers differently from the official database.

The same rule for other zones

DL 4 may appear as DL04 and DL 9 as DL09. From DL 10 onward there is only one form, since the zone already has two digits.

What does a DL1C RTO number mean?

A DL1C RTO number is a private car first registered at the North Delhi office on Mall Road. “DL” is Delhi, “1” is the zone and “C” is the car series, which covers petrol, diesel, CNG and electric cars alike. The next letters are the running series and the last four digits are the car’s own number.

Is DL1C a commercial number?

No. C stands for car, not commercial. A taxi from the same office would show DL 1T or DL 1RT instead.

Buying a used DL1C car

The code only shows where the car was first registered. Check the full number on Vahan for status and insurance before you pay.

Which office is the DL2 RTO?

The DL2 RTO is the New Delhi zonal office, which the code list places at the Indraprastha Depot. It covers the Lutyens and central government areas: Tilak Marg, Chanakya Puri, Parliament Street, Tughlaq Road, Mandi House, North Avenue, South Avenue, Gole Market, Malcha Marg and Connaught Place.

A small zone with a big profile

DL 2 has few residential colonies, but many government and embassy vehicles are registered here.

Address on the slip

Some directories print a Tilak Marg address for DL 2 instead of the Indraprastha Depot. Follow the office named on your Vahan appointment slip.

What does DL 2C RTO stand for?

DL 2C RTO refers to the car series of the New Delhi zone. A plate starting DL 2C belongs to a private car first registered at the DL 2 office. The same office uses DL 2S for two-wheelers and, according to the code list, DL 2W for rural service share taxis.

What a DL 2C plate does not tell you

It does not tell you where the owner lives today. A DL 2C car stays DL 2C after it is sold or after the owner moves to Rohini or Mayur Vihar.

Which zone is the DL4 RTO?

The DL4 RTO is the West Delhi I office at Janakpuri. It is one of the largest zones by area, stretching from Janakpuri and Tilak Nagar to Nangloi, Mundka and Tikri Border. Listed areas include Vikaspuri, Uttam Nagar, Mohan Garden, Nawada, Kakrola, Paschim Vihar, Meera Bagh, Nilothi, Baprola, Hari Nagar and Ashok Nagar.

DL 4 numbers held elsewhere

The code list records that some older DL 4 series, such as DL-4CC to DL-4CM and parts of the DL-4S range, are held by DL 10 at Raja Garden. If your car has one of these numbers, the West Delhi II office may process your request.

Sub-office series

The list also mentions CNA and SNA style series that were used for vehicles from sub-offices. Those areas now have newer offices holding the records.

Where is the DL 6 RTO?

The DL 6 RTO is the Central Delhi office at ISBT Sarai Kale Khan. It covers Daryaganj, Chandni Mahal, Jama Masjid, Turkman Gate, Pahar Ganj, Rajender Nagar and Karol Bagh.

More on Sarai Kale Khan

Contact details listed for this office and the driving test track at the same site are covered on our Sarai Kale Khan RTO office page.

Do not mix DL 6 with DL 3

Sarai Kale Khan the locality is in the DL 3 South Delhi list, even though the DL 6 office stands there. Residents of the locality register with DL 3.

Which office is the DL 7 RTO?

The DL 7 RTO is the East Delhi I office at the DTC Depot, Mayur Vihar. It serves the colonies east of the Yamuna nearest the river: Kalyanpuri, Laxmi Nagar, Preet Vihar, Patparganj, Shakarpur, Trilokpuri and Mayur Vihar. Anand Vihar, Vivek Vihar and Gazipur belong to the other East Delhi zone.

Why are some DL 7 numbers held by DL 13?

When DL 13 opened at Surajmal Vihar, it took over records of some older DL 7 series, including ranges of DL-7C, DL-7CF, DL-7CG, DL-7CH and the DL-7S group. A DL 7 plate from one of these ranges may now be handled at Surajmal Vihar, not Mayur Vihar.

How to tell which office has your DL 7 file

Start the service on Vahan with your number. The system routes the application to the office holding the record, and the appointment slip names it.

What is the DL 8 RTO?

The DL 8 RTO is the North West Delhi I office at the DTC Depot, Wazirpur. It covers Model Town, Jahangirpuri, Adarsh Nagar, Keshav Puram, Ashok Vihar, Shalimar Bagh, Wazirpur, Saraswati Vihar, Kingsway Camp, Pitampura, Mukherjee Nagar, Rani Bagh, Azadpur and Tri Nagar.

DL 8 and DL 11

Rohini, Sultanpuri and the outer north-west were split off into DL 11. The code list says DL 11 also holds some older DL 8 series, such as DL-8CE to DL-8CX and DL-8SAA to DL-8SAY.

Which areas does the DL9 RTO cover?

The DL9 RTO is the South West Delhi I office in Sector 10, Dwarka. The code list names Inderpuri, Naraina, Mayapuri, Najafgarh, Kapashera, Jafarpur Kalan, Dwarka, Palam, Matiala, Mahavir Enclave, Bijwasan, Chhawla, Dabri and Sagarpur. It is the other half of the south-west, next to DL 12.

DL 9 versus DL 12

Dwarka, Najafgarh and Palam go to DL 9; Vasant Kunj, RK Puram and Mehrauli go to DL 12. Naraina and Inderpuri, though closer to central Delhi, are also listed under DL 9.

Office details

Addresses and phone numbers that directories give for the Dwarka office are discussed on our Burari and Delhi zonal office page, with notes on which ones are unconfirmed.

Where is the DL 10 RTO?

The DL 10 RTO is the West Delhi II office at Raja Garden, on the Ring Road side of Rajouri Garden. It is one of the smaller zones by area, covering Anand Parbat, Moti Nagar, Patel Nagar, Punjabi Bagh, Kirti Nagar and Rajouri Garden. A 2022 report also listed an automated driving test track at Raja Garden.

Records DL 10 inherited

Besides its own series, DL 10 holds records for some DL 4 ranges transferred from Janakpuri, as the code list notes. Owners of those cars deal with Raja Garden even though the plate says DL 4.

DL 10 which city is it?

DL 10 is Delhi, not a separate city. The number 10 marks the West Delhi II zone at Raja Garden within the National Capital Territory. People ask “DL 10 which city” because other states use the digits for districts or cities, such as UP 32 for Lucknow, so they expect a city name.

Why Delhi has no city names in its codes

Delhi is a single city-state, so every DL code is a zone of the same city. The zone name, like West Delhi II, plays the role a district name plays elsewhere.

Codes from neighbouring states

Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad are outside Delhi and use HR or UP codes, even though they are part of the NCR. Our guide to Delhi vehicle registration explains what changes when you bring such a vehicle into the city.

Which code applies after you move within Delhi?

Your registration number does not change when you move from one Delhi zone to another. A DL 4 car stays DL 4 after you shift to Vasant Kunj. What changes is the address on the RC, and with it the office that processes your future requests.

What to file after moving

Apply for the RC address change on Vahan with your new address proof. Update the licence address on Sarathi separately, as the two records are not linked.

Moving in from another state

A vehicle from another state needs an NOC and a Delhi re-registration if it will stay beyond the period the rules allow. It then gets a DL code from your new zone.

Can any Delhi zonal office handle your file?

Usually not. A vehicle request goes to the office that holds the record, and a licence request to the office linked to your licence or address. Online services and faceless options have reduced visits, but when a counter visit is needed it must be at the office your slip names.

Tests and inspections are different

Driving tests run at automated tracks and commercial vehicle fitness at testing stations, which you choose or are assigned to separately from your zone.

How do you check a Delhi number online?

Enter the full registration number on Vahan’s vehicle details service or in the mParivahan app. The result shows the registering office, vehicle class, fuel, registration and insurance validity, and a masked owner name. It is the fastest way to confirm which zone holds any Delhi vehicle.

What the zone code cannot tell you

The code alone does not show ownership, pending challans or loan status; use the full number search for those.

For licences

For a licence, check the status on Sarathi using the licence number and date of birth. The result names the issuing authority.