GJ23 which city: the Anand district code on Gujarat plates

GJ23 which city does the plate point to?

The short answer to GJ23 which city is Anand, a mid-sized town between Ahmedabad and Vadodara that most Indians know as the home of Amul. The digits 23 identify the Anand Regional Transport Office, and Gujarat’s list gives that office all of Anand district, not only the town itself.

Town and district share one number

A car with GJ 23 could belong to a family in Anand city, a farmer near Tarapur or a shopkeeper in Khambhat. The plate only says the first registration happened within the district.

Why the question comes up

Anand sits right on the Ahmedabad–Vadodara Expressway, so GJ 23 cars pass through both cities every day. Drivers who notice the unfamiliar number look it up.

What GJ 23 city name appears on the RC?

The GJ 23 city name printed on a registration certificate is shown in the registering authority field, usually as Anand or RTO Anand. That line names the office, not the owner. Someone living in Petlad will see Petlad in the address block and Anand in the authority block.

Paper, smart card and DigiLocker

Old paper books, the newer smart card and the digital RC in DigiLocker or mParivahan all repeat the same office name, so any version can be used to confirm the code.

A different office on the record

If the owner later transferred the vehicle’s record, the authority field can name another office while the plate still starts with GJ 23.

GJ 23 which district is it?

For anyone asking GJ 23 which district, it is Anand district, about 3,204 sq km with roughly 20.9 lakh residents in 2011, of whom about 30% lived in towns. The district lies on the Gulf of Khambhat, with Kheda to the north, Vadodara to the east and Ahmedabad district to the west.

The Charotar region

Anand and its neighbouring talukas form part of Charotar, a fertile farming tract best known for its dairy co-operatives. Village roads here are busy with milk vans and tractors.

A young district

The district came into being on 2 October 1997. Before that its towns were part of Kheda district, administered from Nadiad.

What is the Anand RTO code?

The Anand RTO code is GJ 23, written on plates as GJ 23 followed by a series and number, for example GJ 23 AB 1234. The same prefix, without the space, also starts driving licence numbers issued by the office. No other Gujarat code is listed for Anand district.

One code for the whole district

Gujarat splits a few large districts, such as Ahmedabad and Surat, between two or three offices. Anand is not one of them on the current list.

Codes on licences

A licence issued in Anand begins with GJ23, then the year of issue and a serial, which helps traffic police see the issuing office at a glance.

What is the GJ23 RTO name in official records?

The GJ23 RTO name used in Vahan and Sarathi is simply Anand, the district headquarters. When you search a GJ 23 number, the result names this office as the registering authority. Directory sites sometimes add words like “ARTO” or “Charotar”, but the official dropdowns use the district name.

What to pick in portal menus

When a Vahan or Sarathi form asks for your RTO, choose the Anand entry offered for your address. Picking another office can get your application sent back.

Spelling to expect

You may see Anand written in Gujarati as આણંદ on local forms. In English menus it is always Anand.

Which talukas register under GJ 23?

All eight talukas of the district use GJ 23: Anand, Anklav, Borsad, Khambhat, Petlad, Sojitra, Tarapur and Umreth. The taluka on your address proof decides which address prints on the RC, not which code you get. Every one of them goes to the Anand office on the state list.

Rural villages too

Many villages sit inside these talukas, and their residents register vehicles at the same Anand office as town dwellers.

Talukas change, codes rarely do

If Gujarat redraws taluka borders, a village stays on GJ 23 as long as it remains in Anand district.

Do Vallabh Vidyanagar and Karamsad use GJ 23?

Yes. Vallabh Vidyanagar, the education suburb with engineering colleges and Sardar Patel University, and Karamsad, known for Shri Krishna Hospital, both lie next to Anand city. Students, doctors and staff who register a vehicle at a local address get GJ 23 plates.

Students from other districts

Many students bring two-wheelers from home, so you will see GJ 01, GJ 05 or GJ 06 bikes on campus. Those keep their original codes.

The municipal corporation

Karamsad and Anand are now governed together as the Karamsad Anand Municipal Corporation, but the RTO code is unaffected.

Is Khambhat a GJ 23 area?

Yes. Khambhat, the historic port the British called Cambay, is a taluka of Anand district at the head of the Gulf of Khambhat, so its vehicles carry GJ 23. The harbour silted up centuries ago, and trade moved to Surat, but the town is still known for agate beads, sweets and kites.

Tarapur nearby

Tarapur taluka, on the road from Khambhat towards Ahmedabad, is also GJ 23. Traffic there mixes Anand plates with GJ 38 vehicles from rural Ahmedabad.

Rail link

A branch railway runs from Anand Junction to Khambhat, which means many residents commute to Anand for office work and RTO visits.

Do Petlad, Borsad and Sojitra carry GJ 23?

They do. Petlad, Borsad and Sojitra are separate talukas of Anand district, and the state list gives the district one office, so residents’ vehicles get GJ 23. Borsad lies towards the Mahi river and Vadodara, Petlad to the south-west of Anand, and Sojitra between the two.

Umreth and Anklav

Umreth to the north-east and Anklav near the Mahi are the remaining talukas. They, too, use GJ 23.

Dealer registration

Most new vehicles in these towns are registered by the dealer, so owners rarely visit Anand just for a plate.

Which code did Anand vehicles use before 1997?

Anand district was carved out of Kheda in 1997, and Kheda’s office at Nadiad uses GJ 07. Our sources do not state which code the Anand area used before the split, so we cannot say for certain. Older vehicles registered there before 1997 may well carry GJ 07; check the record to be sure.

Do old plates change?

No source we found says owners had to swap plates after the split. A number, once given, normally stays with the vehicle.

How to check an old vehicle

Search the full number on Vahan. The record shows the registering office and the original registration date.

How is GJ 23 different from GJ 07 Nadiad?

GJ 23 covers Anand district and GJ 07 covers Kheda district from Nadiad. The two towns are only a short drive apart, which causes many mix-ups. Fees, forms and online services are set by Gujarat for both, so the difference is only which office holds your record.

Your address decides

A resident of Nadiad cannot choose the Anand office, and an Anand resident cannot register at Nadiad. The portal routes you by address.

Shared history

Because they were one district until 1997, the two areas share the Kaira name in old institutions such as the Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union.

Which RTO codes surround Anand district?

Anand district has three land neighbours and the sea. Kheda (GJ 07) lies to the north, Vadodara (GJ 06) to the east and Ahmedabad district to the west, where rural talukas such as Dholka use GJ 38. The Gulf of Khambhat closes the southern side.

Bharuch across the water

Bharuch’s district article lists Anand as a northern neighbour. See GJ 16 which city for that Bharuch code.

Ahmedabad city codes

Ahmedabad itself is split between two city offices, and our guide to the Ahmedabad RTO explains which half uses which.

Where is the Anand RTO office located?

The Anand RTO office is in Anand town, the district headquarters. We could not open the Gujarat Commissionerate of Transport’s office directory from our system in October 2026, so we do not print a street address. Your Vahan or Sarathi appointment slip names the office to attend.

Under the state commissionerate

Every Gujarat RTO reports to the Commissionerate of Transport in Gandhinagar, but the counter work for GJ 23 happens in Anand.

Appointment first

Most services need an online form and a booked slot. Walking in without one often means coming back another day.

How can you confirm the Anand office address and timings?

Use the RTO list on the Commissionerate of Transport, Gujarat website or the details shown when you book a slot on the Parivahan portals. Phone numbers copied across listing sites are often stale, and none could be confirmed from an official page for this guide.

Why some cells stay blank

Printing an unchecked address could send you to the wrong building. We add office details only when a source we can verify states them.

Holidays

Gujarat RTOs follow state government holidays. Check the calendar before you plan a trip.

Which services does the GJ 23 office handle?

The GJ 23 office deals with the standard registration work: new vehicles, ownership transfer, address change, adding or removing a hypothecation, duplicate RC and no objection certificates. For goods and passenger vehicles it also handles permits, fitness and tax. Most tasks start online on the Vahan portal.

Transport vehicles

Milk tankers, goods carriers and buses registered in the district come here for fitness checks and permit renewals. Fitness checks need the vehicle present.

State buses are elsewhere

GSRTC buses running through Anand are all registered at Gandhinagar, as our GJ 18 which city page explains, so they do not carry GJ 23.

Can you apply for a driving licence at Anand?

Yes. Residents of Anand district apply for a learner licence and a permanent driving licence on Sarathi and then attend the Anand office, or the counter the portal offers, for photos and tests. You fill the form, upload documents, pay the Gujarat fee and book the test online.

Renewals and changes

Renewing a licence, changing the address or getting a duplicate also starts on Sarathi. Some requests finish without a visit if Aadhaar verification works.

Licence number format

Your licence number will begin with GJ23, matching the office that issued it.

How do you read a GJ 23 number plate?

A GJ 23 plate follows the national pattern: GJ for Gujarat, 23 for Anand, a series of one to three letters and a number up to four digits. Only the first four characters tell you the place. A later series just means a more recent registration.

1. Check the first two letters. GJ means the vehicle was first registered in Gujarat.
2. Read the two digits. 23 points to the Anand office and Anand district.
3. Skip the series letters. Letters such as AB or CK only show the order of issue.
4. Search the full number. Look it up on Vahan or mParivahan for the official record.

Plate colours

White is private, yellow is commercial and green is electric. Charotar’s many milk and goods vehicles mean yellow GJ 23 plates are common.

HSRP on new vehicles

New vehicles come with a high-security registration plate carrying a laser-etched code and a chromium hologram.

How do you check a GJ 23 vehicle online?

Type the full registration number into the Vahan citizen portal or the mParivahan app. The result shows the registering office, vehicle class, fuel type, registration date and insurance validity, with the owner’s name partly hidden. To find the model and owner details for any plate, see our guide to the vehicle name by number.

What the office line tells you

If it reads Anand, the record still sits with the GJ 23 office. Another name means the record was moved after an address change.

Cross-check with papers

Always match the chassis and engine numbers on the RC with the vehicle before you rely on the online result.

Why is the GJ 23 city linked with milk?

Anand is called the Milk Capital of India because the Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union, better known as Amul, was registered there in 1946. The National Dairy Development Board and the head office of the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation are also based in Anand, which explains the many dairy vehicles on its roads.

Institutions behind the traffic

IRMA, Anand Agricultural University and the Vallabh Vidyanagar colleges draw students and staff from all over India, so non-local plates are common on campus roads.

The founders

Amul grew from farmers led by Tribhuvandas Patel, with Verghese Kurien joining in 1949 and later leading the White Revolution.

Is MH 23 or RJ 23 the same as GJ 23?

No. The two letters in front name the state, so the same digits mean different places. MH 23 is Beed, RJ 23 is Sikar, KA 23 is Chikkodi, TN 23 is Vellore and UP 23 is Amroha. Only GJ 23 is Anand.

Typos in searches

A smudged plate photo can turn GJ into RJ. Recheck the letters before you search a number.

Does a GJ 23 number change if you move?

Not inside Gujarat. A GJ 23 number stays with the vehicle if you move to Ahmedabad, Surat or Rajkot; you update the address on Vahan. Moving to another state for more than a year usually means re-registering there, starting with a clearance from the Anand office.

After a sale

A buyer from another Gujarat district keeps the GJ 23 number. Only the owner’s details change on the record.

Inter-state moves

Your new state’s RTO issues a fresh number once you register there. The old GJ 23 record is then closed.

What should you check before buying a used GJ 23 car?

Look for a clean Vahan record, matching chassis and engine numbers, no unpaid challans and a closed loan backed by a bank letter. In Anand district also check the vehicle class, since some pickups and vans were registered for commercial dairy or farm use before resale.

Hypothecation entries

If a bank appears on the RC, get the loan closure letter and Form 35 before you pay. The entry is removed through the Anand office.

Insurance and PUC

Confirm both are current. A lapsed policy is a common problem with older vehicles from rural talukas.

How do you get a choice number under GJ 23?

When a fresh series opens, the Anand office offers choice numbers through Gujarat’s online e-auction on the Vahan fancy number module. You register, place a bid and pay within the deadline if you win. Base prices are fixed by the state, so check the current amounts on the portal.

Timing

Popular numbers go quickly when a series opens. Your dealer can tell you when the next GJ 23 series is due.

Retaining a number

Rules for keeping a number on a new vehicle are set by the state. Ask at the office before you sell the old one.

Which mistakes do people make with GJ 23?

The common slips are treating GJ 23 as Nadiad, assuming Khambhat has its own code, placing Anand under Vadodara and mixing up MH 23 or RJ 23 with the Gujarat code. The card below lists each one with the correction. Our RTO codes hub covers every other state.

Trusting old lists

Gujarat keeps adding districts and offices, so recheck any list that is more than a year old.

Reading too much into a plate

A code records where a vehicle was first registered. It does not prove where the owner lives today.