NL registration and other state codes decoded, from DD and PY to KA and RJ

NL registration: which state in India is it?

NL registration means the vehicle was registered in Nagaland. NL is the state code fixed for Nagaland in the national registration scheme, and every NL plate is followed by a two-digit office code, a letter series and a four-digit number, for example NL 01 AB 1234. The record sits on the national Vahan database like any other state’s vehicle.

How to read an NL plate

The first pair of letters, NL, tells you the state. The two digits after it name the registering office: 01 for Kohima, 07 for the Dimapur area and so on. The letters after that are the series the office was issuing when the vehicle was registered, and the last four digits are the unique number in that series.

Is an NL vehicle legal outside Nagaland?

Yes. A registration made in any state is valid across India. A private car that moves permanently to another state must be re-registered there within the time the law allows, while a goods vehicle with a valid National Permit may run across states on its NL number.

What does NL state code mean on a plate?

The NL state code is simply Nagaland’s two-letter prefix. It does not show the owner’s home town, only the state whose transport department registered the vehicle. Nagaland’s offices issue NL numbers, and the state government also uses two codes of its own for official vehicles.

NL 09 and NL 10 are government codes

The public RTO list gives NL 09 to Government of Nagaland non-transport vehicles and NL 10 to government transport vehicles across the whole state. A plate in these series is an official vehicle, not a private one from a particular district.

Colours still apply

An NL plate follows the national colour scheme. A private car has black letters on white, a taxi or truck has black on yellow, and an electric vehicle gets a green plate. The colour tells you the use; the code only tells you the state.

NL number plate which state: the district codes

If you are asking which state an NL number plate belongs to, the answer is always Nagaland, and the two digits narrow it to an office. Eight district offices and two government series are listed. For tax, HSRP and services for owners in the state, see the full guide to the NL number plate.

Why NL 07 is the busiest

Dimapur is Nagaland’s railhead and trading centre, so a large share of the state’s commercial vehicles are registered in the NL 07 office that covers Dimapur, Chumoukedima and Niuland. Newer districts have been carved out over time, which is why one code can cover more than one district.

What is NL passing and why do trucks choose it?

NL passing is trade slang for a vehicle registered, or “passed”, in Nagaland. It is most often heard about lorries and trailers. Nagaland’s Transport Department has said the state has a lower tax levy than most other states, and most permits it issues are National Permits for inter-state goods traffic.

What the 2026 figures show

A Morung Express report from August 2026, citing the Vahan dashboard, put Nagaland’s registrations at 5,04,942 vehicles in July 2026. Nearly 40% were heavy goods or heavy motor vehicles, and 1,15,981 of the state’s 1,40,667 permits, or 82.5%, were National Permits.

What NL passing does not mean

The department also said it has no data on how many of these vehicles actually run inside Nagaland. An NL truck on a highway in Gujarat or Tamil Nadu is therefore not unusual. Registration rules still apply: the owner must have a genuine address in the state, and the vehicle must meet permit, fitness and tax conditions.

Check before buying an NL vehicle

If you buy a second-hand NL truck or car in another state, check its tax, permit, fitness and any challans on Vahan first, then plan the NOC and re-registration if you will keep it in your state.

What is DD registration?

DD registration is the code for the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. It covers three offices: DD 01 for Silvassa, DD 02 for Diu and DD 03 for Daman. The code existed for Daman and Diu before 2020 and was extended to Silvassa after the merger.

Who issues DD numbers

The union territory’s transport department runs the offices and records registrations on Vahan, the national database built by MoRTH and NIC. That means you can check tax, insurance and fitness for a DD vehicle on the same Vahan and mParivahan services used for any state.

What a DD plate looks like

A DD plate follows the usual format: DD, the office number, a series and a four-digit number, such as DD 03 A 1234.

DD RTO code list for Silvassa, Daman and Diu

The DD RTO code has three office numbers, one per district. If you see DD 01, the vehicle was registered in Silvassa in Dadra and Nagar Haveli. DD 02 is Diu and DD 03 is Daman. There are no other DD office codes in the public list.

Why Silvassa got DD 01

Daman and Diu already used DD 02 and DD 03, so the free number DD 01 went to Silvassa when the territories merged. The note in the public RTO list says the office was previously DN 09.

Tip for reading old documents

A Silvassa vehicle bought before the merger will still show DN 09 on its plate and RC. Do not treat that as an error. Its record stays on Vahan under the original number.

What happened to DN registration?

DN registration was the code of the old union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, used at the Silvassa office as DN 09. The territory merged with Daman and Diu on 26 January 2020, and new registrations at Silvassa now get DD 01. Insurer RTO directories describe DN 09 as no longer in use.

Existing DN numbers stay valid

A registration mark stays with the vehicle for life unless it is re-registered elsewhere. So a DN 09 car is still legal as long as its RC, insurance, PUC and tax are in order. You do not need to apply for a DD number just because of the merger.

Why some sites still show DN

Several older insurer and RTO directories still list DN 09 as Silvassa’s code. That is out of date for new vehicles but correct for older ones, which is why you will meet both codes on Silvassa roads.

DN vehicle registration after 2020

A DN vehicle registration made before the merger is handled like any other existing record. Transfer of ownership, change of address, duplicate RC or hypothecation changes are done through Vahan citizen services or at the Silvassa office, using the DN number already on the RC.

Selling a DN vehicle

The seller and buyer file the ownership transfer with the Silvassa office. The number stays DN 09 unless the buyer lives in another state and later re-registers it there.

Moving a DN vehicle to another state

If you shift out of the union territory, take a NOC from the Silvassa office and register the vehicle in the new state. The new state issues its own number, and the DN number then ends.

DD vehicle registration: how does it work?

DD vehicle registration follows the national process. For a new vehicle, the dealer uploads the sale on Vahan, you pay the road tax and fee, the office checks the papers and allots a DD 01, DD 02 or DD 03 number, and the dealer fits the high security plate.

1. Buy from a registered dealer. The dealer enters the sale and vehicle details on Vahan.
2. Pay road tax and registration fee. Pay online on Vahan citizen services or at the transport office.
3. Present documents at the office. The Silvassa, Daman or Diu office checks the papers and, where needed, the vehicle.
4. Get the DD number. The office allots a number in the DD 01, DD 02 or DD 03 series.
5. Fit the HSRP and collect the RC. The dealer fits the high security plate and the RC is issued or available digitally.

Documents you usually need

Expect to show proof of address in the union territory, identity proof, the sale invoice, Form 21 sale certificate and Form 22 roadworthiness certificate from the dealer, valid insurance, and a PUC certificate where it applies. The dealer normally collects these for a new vehicle.

Fees and tax

The union territory sets its own road tax and fees. We have not been able to verify the current DD rates from an official source, so check the amount shown on Vahan when you pay, or ask the dealer for the official tax receipt.

Daman and Diu number plate before the merger

A Daman and Diu number plate has used the DD prefix for decades. Daman vehicles carry DD 03 and Diu vehicles DD 02, and these numbers did not change in 2020. Only Silvassa moved from DN to DD.

The two enclaves are far apart

Daman sits on the Gujarat coast near Vapi, while Diu is an island off the Saurashtra coast, hundreds of kilometres away. Each has its own office, so the two codes tell you which enclave the vehicle came from.

PY number plate which state?

If you are asking PY number plate which state, the answer is the union territory of Puducherry. The territory, known as Pondicherry until 2006, has four regions scattered across three states, so its codes cover places far from the capital.

The five PY codes

The public list shows PY 01 Puducherry, PY 02 Karaikal, PY 03 Mahe, PY 04 Yanam and PY 05 Oulgaret. Karaikal is on the Tamil Nadu coast, Mahe sits inside Kerala and Yanam inside Andhra Pradesh, so a PY plate in those states is local traffic, not an outsider.

PY number plate India: where to read more

PY registrations follow the same Vahan process as the rest of India. For tax and plate details specific to the territory, read the full guide to the PY number plate.

BR number plate which state?

A BR number plate belongs to Bihar. BR is followed by the district office number, from BR 01 Patna upward. The public list shows 38 office codes between BR 01 and BR 56, because some numbers are unused or have been merged.

Most-searched BR codes

BR 01 is Patna, BR 06 Muzaffarpur and BR 10 Bhagalpur. Patna’s code also appears on many government and commercial vehicles, because the capital has the largest registration volume in the state.

BR no plate on a new vehicle

A BR no plate on a new vehicle is a high security registration plate fitted by the dealer. Owners of older vehicles book an HSRP through the state transport department’s booking link.

BR vehicle code list: which Bihar district?

The BR vehicle code tells you the Bihar district office. The first ten numbers follow the main division towns, and later numbers were given as districts split. A short list of the main codes is below; for every Bihar code, see the page on the BR 01 district name and others.

Gaps in the numbering

Codes such as BR 12 to BR 18 do not appear in the public list. That is normal: numbers were reserved, retired or never used. If a BR code is not in a list, check the number on Vahan rather than assuming the plate is fake.

Hajipur and Bihar Sharif

BR 31 is Hajipur and BR 21 Bihar Sharif. Both are close to Patna, so you will see them often in the capital region.

GA number plate: which Goa office?

A GA number plate is from Goa. Goa’s codes run by taluka rather than district: GA 03 Mapusa, GA 07 Panaji and GA 08 Margao are the busiest. The public list marks the old district codes GA 01 and GA 02 as no longer in use.

Old GA 01 and GA 02 plates

Plates starting GA 01 (Panaji) or GA 02 (Margao) are older district-level registrations. They stay valid; the state simply moved new registrations to taluka-level codes.

Rental bikes in Goa

Many tourist rental scooters in Goa carry black plates with yellow letters, which mark a registered self-drive rental. A private white plate on a hired bike is a warning sign that it is not a legal rental.

ML number plate: what do Meghalaya codes show?

An ML number plate is from Meghalaya. ML 05 is Shillong, the capital, and other codes cover the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo Hills districts. Like Nagaland, Meghalaya keeps separate codes for government and police vehicles.

Main ML codes

ML 01 is Meghalaya Government vehicles and ML 02 police vehicles. District offices include ML 04 Jowai, ML 05 Shillong, ML 06 Nongstoin, ML 07 Williamnagar, ML 08 Tura, ML 09 Baghmara and ML 10 Nongpoh. ML 03 does not appear in the public list.

Arunachal Pradesh number plate: which codes exist?

An Arunachal Pradesh number plate starts with AR. The public list shows 20 office codes: AR 01 to AR 17, plus AR 19, AR 20 and AR 22. AR 01 and AR 02 are both issued at the Itanagar office in Papum Pare district.

Examples of AR codes

AR 03 is Tawang, popular with tourists, and AR 12 is Changlang in the east.

Permits for visitors

Indian visitors need an Inner Line Permit to enter Arunachal Pradesh, whatever their vehicle’s code. That is a separate travel permit, not part of vehicle registration.

JK number plate which state?

A JK number plate is from Jammu and Kashmir. JK 01 is Srinagar and JK 02 Jammu, the two largest offices. Since Ladakh became a separate union territory, it uses its own code, LA, for new registrations.

Older JK plates from Ladakh

Vehicles registered in Leh or Kargil before the change may still carry JK numbers. They remain valid; new vehicles in Ladakh get LA numbers.

UA number plate in India: which state?

A UA number plate in India is an old Uttarakhand registration. When the state was formed in 2000 it used UA; it switched to UK in 2007. You will still see UA plates on older cars, bikes and trucks in Dehradun, Haridwar and Haldwani.

UA number plate which state today?

Today UA still points to Uttarakhand, but no new UA numbers are issued. New vehicles get UK, such as UK 07 for Dehradun. Both codes sit on the same Vahan records.

Do UA owners need a new number?

No. A UA vehicle keeps its number for life unless it is re-registered in another state. Only the plate itself may need replacing with an HSRP if the state requires it for older vehicles.

CH no plate: why does Chandigarh have four codes?

A CH no plate is from Chandigarh. The union territory uses CH 01, CH 02, CH 03 and CH 04, all issued by the single Chandigarh registering authority. The different numbers are series used one after another, not separate offices.

Neighbouring codes

Mohali is in Punjab (PB) and Panchkula in Haryana (HR), so in the tricity you will see CH, PB and HR plates side by side. Read more about plate rules in our HSRP number plate guide.

UP RTO code: how do Uttar Pradesh numbers work?

A UP RTO code is Uttar Pradesh’s prefix plus an office number. The public list shows 75 active codes, from UP 11 to UP 96. UP 01 to UP 10 are no longer used because those districts became part of Uttarakhand in 2000.

Codes people search most

UP 14 is Ghaziabad, UP 16 Noida (Gautam Buddha Nagar), UP 32 Lucknow, UP 65 Varanasi, UP 78 Kanpur Nagar and UP 80 Agra. The NCR codes UP 14 and UP 16 are very common in Delhi traffic.

Why UP codes start at 11

The original UP numbering covered the hill districts first. When Uttarakhand was created, those numbers moved out with the districts, which is why the lowest active UP code today is UP 11.

All India number plate: every state code

An all India number plate is not a separate kind of plate. Every vehicle carries a state or union territory code, except those in the Bharat series, which uses BH for eligible people who move between states. The table below lists the codes most often asked about on this page.

Where BH fits in

A BH number plate shows the year of registration and BH instead of a state code, so it does not need re-registering when the owner moves. Eligibility and tax rules are explained in the guide to the BH number plate.

Retired codes you may still see

Besides UA and DN, you may see OR (Odisha before OD) and TS (Telangana before TG). All remain valid on vehicles registered under them.

Karnataka RTO list

The Karnataka RTO list runs from KA 01 to KA 71, with a few numbers unused. Bengaluru has the most offices, then district towns such as Mysuru, Mangaluru, Belagavi and Kalaburagi. The table below groups the codes covered on this page by region.

Where the list comes from

These codes come from the public list of RTO districts and insurer directories. Offices sometimes move building or split, so confirm the current address with the Karnataka Transport Department before you visit.

Unused numbers

KA 58, KA 60, KA 61 and KA 62 do not appear in the public list. If you see one, check the number on Vahan before drawing any conclusion.

How many RTO in Bangalore?

How many RTO in Bangalore depends on how you count. The public RTO list shows 11 KA codes in Bengaluru Urban district, including KA 57, which registers only KSRTC and BMTC buses. Insurer guides such as Zurich Kotak and Groww say the city has 17 offices, probably counting Bengaluru Rural and newer units.

The 11 Bengaluru Urban codes

KA 01 HSR Layout (Central), KA 02 Rajajinagar (West), KA 03 Kasturinagar (East), KA 04 Yeshwantpur (North), KA 05 Jayaprakash Nagar (South), KA 41 Jnana Bharathi, KA 50 Yelahanka, KA 51 Electronic City, KA 53 KR Puram, KA 57 Shantinagar for buses and KA 59 Chandapura.

Bengaluru Rural offices

KA 43 Devanahalli and KA 52 Nelamangala are in Bengaluru Rural district, on the city’s edge. Office addresses and jurisdictions for each are in the guide to RTO Bangalore.

KA 53 which registration?

KA 53 which registration has a simple answer: the Krishnarajapuram (KR Puram) office in east Bengaluru. It covers parts of Bengaluru Urban and Bengaluru Rural, including the Whitefield and Old Madras Road side of the city, which is why KA 53 plates are common on IT corridor traffic.

KA 53 and KA 03 are neighbours

KA 03 Kasturinagar covers the inner east, while KA 53 covers the outer east. Which one a new vehicle gets depends on the owner’s address on the registration papers.

KA 03 which registration?

KA 03 which registration points to Bengaluru East. The public list places the office at Kasturinagar; many insurer guides still call it the Indiranagar RTO, its older location. Either way, a KA 03 plate is an east Bengaluru registration.

Areas it serves

KA 03 covers inner east Bengaluru, including areas such as Indiranagar and the surrounding wards. Outer east areas fall under KA 53 KR Puram.

KA 50 which registration?

KA 50 which registration answers to the Yelahanka office in north Bengaluru. It serves the airport road side of the city and is part of Bengaluru Urban district. Vehicles registered by owners around Yelahanka and Jakkur often carry KA 50 numbers.

KA 50 vs KA 04

KA 04 Yeshwantpur covers the inner north and north-west. KA 50 takes the outer north, so both codes are common in north Bengaluru traffic.

Devanahalli is different

The airport town of Devanahalli has its own code, KA 43, in Bengaluru Rural. A KA 43 car is not a Yelahanka registration.

KA 41 which district?

KA 41 which district is Bengaluru Urban. The public list names the office Jnana Bharathi, serving the city’s western suburbs, while some insurer directories call it the Rajarajeshwari Nagar RTO. Both names point to the same part of west Bengaluru.

Western suburbs it covers

The office serves the Mysuru Road and Kengeri side of the city. KA 02 Rajajinagar covers the inner west, so the two codes split west Bengaluru between them.

KA 42 which registration?

KA 42 which registration is the Ramanagara office, which serves Ramanagara district just south-west of Bengaluru, on the Mysuru road. KA 42 plates are common in Ramanagara, Channapatna and nearby towns.

Close to the city, separate district

Ramanagara is a separate district, so a KA 42 vehicle is not a Bengaluru Urban registration even though it may commute daily to the city.

KA 11 which registration?

KA 11 which registration is the Mandya office, which serves Mandya district between Bengaluru and Mysuru. The old Mysore region also has KA 10 Chamarajanagar and KA 12 Madikeri, so these three are often asked about together.

KA 10 which registration?

KA 10 is Chamarajanagar, the southernmost district, bordering Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

KA 12 which registration?

KA 12 is Madikeri, the office for Kodagu (Coorg) district. It is a common plate on the hill roads to Coorg and in Kushalnagar and Virajpet.

KA 13 which registration?

KA 13 which registration is Hassan, the office for Hassan district. The district also has a second office at Sakleshpura in the Western Ghats, which issues KA 46.

KA 46 which registration?

KA 46 is Sakleshpura in Hassan district. It serves the coffee estates and ghat towns on the Bengaluru to Mangaluru highway.

Hassan plates on the highway

Because the Bengaluru to Mangaluru road passes through Hassan, KA 13 and KA 46 vehicles are common on that route, including many goods carriers.

KA 14 which registration?

KA 14 which registration is Shivamogga (Shimoga), the office for Shivamogga district in central Karnataka. The district’s second office, at Sagara, issues KA 15.

KA 15 which registration?

KA 15 is Sagara in Shivamogga district, near Jog Falls. A KA 15 plate tells you the owner registered through the Sagara office rather than the district headquarters.

KA 17 which registration?

KA 17 which registration is Davanagere, the office for Davanagere district in central Karnataka, on the Pune to Bengaluru highway. KA 17 plates are common on trucks and buses on that corridor.

KA 16 which district?

KA 16 is Chitradurga, the office for Chitradurga district, just south of Davanagere on the same highway.

KA 18 which registration?

KA 18 which registration is Chikkamagaluru, the coffee district in the Western Ghats. Tourist taxis and estate jeeps around Mullayanagiri and Kudremukh often carry KA 18 plates.

A second office in the district

Chikkamagaluru district also has an office at Tarikere, listed as KA 66, for the eastern part of the district.

KA 22 which registration?

KA 22 which registration is Belagavi (Belgaum), the largest district office in north-west Karnataka, close to the Maharashtra and Goa borders. Belagavi district also has offices at Chikkodi, Bailhongal, Gokak, Ramdurg and Athani under other codes.

Border traffic

Because Belagavi borders Maharashtra and Goa, you will often see KA 22 alongside MH and GA plates. Each stays valid in the other states.

More than one Belagavi code

A Belagavi district vehicle may carry KA 22, KA 23 (Chikkodi) or KA 49 (Gokak), depending on the office that registered it.

KA 21 which registration?

KA 21 which registration is Puttur, the second office in Dakshina Kannada district. Mangaluru, the district headquarters, uses KA 19. KA 21 covers the inland taluks around Puttur and Sullia.

KA 19 vs KA 21

If you live in Mangaluru city you will usually get KA 19. A KA 21 plate tells you the owner registered at the Puttur office.

KA 25 which registration?

KA 25 which registration is Dharwad, and if you are asking KA 25 which district, it is Dharwad district, which includes Hubballi. A newer Dharwad East office uses KA 63, so the twin cities now have two codes.

KA 26 which registration?

KA 26 is Gadag, the office for Gadag district, east of Hubballi.

KA 27 which registration?

KA 27 is Haveri, for Haveri district on the Pune to Bengaluru highway. The district’s Ranebennur office uses KA 68.

KA 29 which registration?

KA 29 which registration is Bagalkote, the office for Bagalkote district in north Karnataka, near Badami and Aihole. The district’s Jamkhandi office uses KA 48.

KA 32 which district?

KA 32 is Kalaburagi (Gulbarga), the main office in the north-east of the state.

KA 36 which district?

KA 36 is Raichur, the office for Raichur district, on the Telangana border.

KA 35 which district?

KA 35 which district is Vijayanagara, with the office at Hosapete (Hospet), near Hampi. It was earlier part of Ballari district, which still uses KA 34.

KA 39 which registration?

KA 39 is Bhalki in Bidar district. The district headquarters, Bidar, uses KA 38, and Basavakalyan uses KA 56.

KA 47 which district?

KA 47 which district is Uttara Kannada, with the office at Honnavar on the coast. The district also has offices at Karwar (KA 30), Sirsi (KA 31) and Dandeli (KA 65).

A coastal code

KA 47 is common on the coastal highway between Karwar and Bhatkal, and on vehicles heading to Gokarna and Murudeshwar.

KA 64 which registration?

KA 64 which registration is Madhugiri in Tumakuru district. Tumakuru town uses KA 06 and Tiptur KA 44, so KA 64 is the district’s third office, serving the northern taluks.

RJ 60 RTO code

The RJ 60 RTO code is listed as an additional Jaipur office in the public RTO list, and Policybazaar also lists RJ60 among Jaipur codes. Jaipur’s best-known codes are RJ 14 and RJ 45, so RJ 60 is less widely documented. Confirm the office on Vahan before you plan a visit.

Why Jaipur has several codes

Jaipur is the state’s largest registration centre, so it has several offices with separate codes. A new number depends on the office handling the owner’s address.

How to check an RJ 60 number

Enter the full number in Vahan’s vehicle search or mParivahan. The result shows the registering authority, which settles any doubt.

RJ 26 which city?

RJ 26 which city has the answer Tonk, the office for Tonk district south of Jaipur. If you are also asking RJ 22 which city, it is Pali, in the Marwar region between Jodhpur and Udaipur.

RJ 22 which city: Pali

RJ 22 Pali is a busy textile town, so many goods vehicles carry RJ 22. Do not confuse it with RJ 27, which is Udaipur.

RJ 26 on the Jaipur road

Tonk lies on the road from Jaipur to Kota, so RJ 26 plates are common on that route and in Jaipur.

RJ 15 which city?

RJ 15 which city is Jaisalmer, the desert district in the far west of Rajasthan. The office is in Jaisalmer town. RJ 15 plates are common on tourist jeeps and taxis around the fort and Sam dunes.

RJ 50 which city?

RJ 50 is Nokha in Bikaner district. Bikaner city has its own code; RJ 50 is the Nokha sub-office.

RJ18 RTO code

The RJ18 RTO code belongs to Jhunjhunu, in the Shekhawati region of north Rajasthan.

Neighbouring Shekhawati codes

Sikar, the neighbouring Shekhawati district, has its own code. If a number does not match the district you expect, check Vahan.

Ownership transfer

If you buy an RJ 18 vehicle while living elsewhere in Rajasthan, the number stays; only the ownership and address change. Owner records and how to read them are covered in vehicle owner details by number plate.

AS 12 which district?

AS 12 which district is Sonitpur, with the office at Tezpur on the north bank of the Brahmaputra in Assam. It is one of Assam’s district offices in the central part of the state.

Checking an AS number

As with any state, put the full AS number into Vahan or mParivahan to see the registering office, vehicle type and validity of insurance and fitness.