AR01 RTO: Itanagar's code, its twin AR 02 and every Arunachal office

What is AR01 RTO?

AR01 RTO is the registering office for Itanagar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh. Every vehicle first registered there carries AR 01 on its plate, its registration certificate and its record in the national Vahan database.

Where the code comes from

AR is the state mark for Arunachal Pradesh in the national list of two-letter codes, which came into force on 1 July 1989 under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. The 01 that follows marks the capital’s office.

What the office handles

The office deals with registrations, transfers, permits and licences, most of them filed online through Vahan and Sarathi.

What is AR02 RTO and how does it differ from AR 01?

AR02 RTO is where the sources split. Wikipedia’s RTO list, ACKO and V3Cars all place AR 02 at Itanagar, alongside AR 01. Zurich Kotak and Bajaj Finserv instead assign AR 02 to Yupia, the headquarters of Papum Pare district, about 20 km from the capital.

Why two numbers for one area?

None of our sources explains the reason. The Itanagar article on Wikipedia simply lists AR-01, AR-02 as the city’s registration codes.

How to tell which applies

For a specific vehicle, the registering authority field on Vahan settles it. Do not rely on a single blog list to decide whether an AR 02 car came from Itanagar or Yupia.

Which areas does AR 01 registration cover?

AR 01 registration covers the capital region. Wikipedia describes the Itanagar Capital Complex as having its own Deputy Commissioner and including the Itanagar, Naharlagun and Banderdewa circles. The wider Papum Pare district also includes Doimukh, Sagalee and Kimin, though our sources do not say which of these register as AR 01.

A district on paper and in practice

The state approved a capital district in January 2013, yet the 1980 reorganisation Act, as amended, still does not list the Capital Complex as a district.

Census size

Itanagar had 59,490 people in the 2011 census, with Naharlagun as the adjacent town.

Arunachal Pradesh vehicle registration number list

This Arunachal Pradesh vehicle registration number list follows Wikipedia’s RTO list for AR 01 to AR 22. Rows marked “V3Cars only” appear in no other source we checked, so treat them as unconfirmed.

Reading the table

Find the two digits after AR and read across. AR 09 is Pasighat in East Siang, and AR 03 is Tawang. No source lists an AR 23.

Not an official list

We could not reach an Arunachal transport department list, so this is a cross-check of secondary sources. For how state codes work across India, see our RTO code guide.

Which Arunachal codes do the lists disagree on?

Sources match from AR 01 to AR 16, apart from the AR 02 question. From AR 17 onward they part ways: ACKO stops at AR 16, Wikipedia skips AR 18 and AR 21, and V3Cars lists several codes nobody else confirms. The registering authority on Vahan is the safest guide.

Why new districts cause gaps

Arunachal has created several districts in the last decade. Secondary sites update at different speeds, which explains most mismatches.

What is AR 20 registration?

AR 20 registration belongs to Namsai, in the east of the state. Wikipedia notes that Namsai district was created in 2014 from the former Lohit district, and Drivespark and Zurich Kotak also give Namsai the AR 20 code. Older Namsai vehicles may still show AR 11, Lohit’s code.

Lohit and Namsai side by side

Tezu stays the Lohit office on AR 11. A vehicle registered in the Namsai area before the split keeps its old number, because codes record the first registration, not later boundary changes.

What does an Arunachal Pradesh registration number mean?

An Arunachal Pradesh registration number has four parts: the state letters AR, a two-digit office code, one to three series letters and a number from 1 to 9999. In AR 01 AB 1234, AR is the state, 01 is Itanagar, AB is the series and 1234 is the vehicle’s own number.

Series letters

Series letters skip I and O so they are not mistaken for 1 and 0. They say nothing about the owner.

The BH alternative

Some eligible owners choose the national BH series instead of AR. Our BH registration guide covers who qualifies.

How does AR RTO registration work?

AR RTO registration runs on the national Vahan system. The dealer usually enters the sale, insurance and owner documents, pays tax and fees online, and the vehicle receives the next free number at the office that covers the owner’s address. We do not quote fees here, as we could not verify Arunachal’s current schedule.

Before you buy

Keep identity and address proof ready, because the address decides the office. A buyer in Naharlagun and one in Pasighat will get different codes for the same model.

After registration

The RC can be viewed in DigiLocker or mParivahan once linked.

Is there a separate AR bus code?

No source we checked lists a code reserved for buses. APSTS, the state bus operator headquartered in Itanagar since 15 December 1975, and private operators register buses at the normal district offices. What marks a bus is the yellow commercial plate, not a special office number.

Why do buses far from Arunachal carry AR plates?

Private sleeper and tourist buses in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have often carried AR numbers. In June 2017 the Arunachal transport commissioner told district officers to cancel registrations and national permits of AR tourist buses running only in other states, according to Eastern Mirror.

The rule behind it

Swarajya reported that the action relied on Section 49 of the Motor Vehicles Act, which expects a vehicle kept in another state for over a year to be re-registered there.

What does an Arunachal Pradesh car number plate look like?

An Arunachal Pradesh car number plate follows national rules: black letters on white for a private car, white on green for a private electric car and black on yellow for a taxi. The plate reads AR, the office code, the series and the number, normally on one line.

Rental and temporary plates

Rental commercial cars use yellow on black. A temporary plate, issued before the permanent number, uses red on yellow.

How is an Arunachal Pradesh bike number plate laid out?

An Arunachal Pradesh bike number plate carries the same characters as a car plate, often split over two lines: AR 01 on top and the series and number below. A private bike uses black on white, and an electric scooter white on green.

Front and rear

Both plates must show the full number. Stickers and styled fonts are not allowed.

Arunachal Pradesh vehicle number plate colours and HSRP

Every Arunachal Pradesh vehicle number plate issued for a new vehicle should be a High Security Registration Plate, under the rule 50 amendment of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules dated 1 June 2005. These plates are tamper-proof, with a chromium hologram, a laser-etched identification number and snap-lock rivets. Since 1 April 2019, makers supply new vehicles with HSRP fitted by the dealer.

Older vehicles

Wikipedia notes that HSRP rollout has been uneven across states. If your older AR vehicle lacks one, use the official booking route.

How do you check an AR 01 vehicle online?

To check an AR 01 vehicle, enter the full number on Vahan or in the mParivahan app. The result shows the model, registration date, fuel, insurance and fitness validity, and the registering authority, which confirms whether the number came from Itanagar.

1. Open Vahan or mParivahan. Use the Vahan citizen services site or the mParivahan app.
2. Pick the vehicle search. Choose the option to know vehicle or registration details.
3. Enter the number. Type the full number without spaces, such as AR01AB1234, and the captcha.
4. Read the registering authority. The result names the office that issued the number.

Masked owner names

Public searches show only part of the owner’s name. Our guide to RTO vehicle information explains each field.

Where is the AR 01 RTO office?

We could not verify an address, phone number, email or opening hours for the AR 01 office from any source we reached, so we do not print one. Use the Parivahan office directory, or ask the Capital Complex district administration, before travelling.

Moving within the state

If you shift from Itanagar to Ziro, your vehicle keeps AR 01. Only the address on the RC changes. A new number comes only after re-registration in another state.