KA 40 which registration: the Chikkaballapura office explained

What does KA 40 which registration point to?

A search for KA 40 which registration usually starts with a plate seen on the Bengaluru–Hyderabad highway or near Nandi Hills. The plate belongs to the Chikkaballapura Regional Transport Office. KA stands for Karnataka and 40 for this office. The code records where the vehicle was first registered, so it says nothing about where the owner lives today.

Chikkaballapur, Chikballapur or Chikkaballapura?

All three spellings appear on signboards, RCs and insurance papers. The state now writes Chikkaballapura, but every version means the same town and the same KA 40 office.

A code for an office, not a city

Karnataka numbers its codes by transport office. One district can hold two or more offices, and that is exactly the case here.

KA 40 which district does it belong to?

The direct answer to KA 40 which district is Chikkaballapur, a district of about 4,244 sq km directly north of Bengaluru, with Chikkaballapura town as its headquarters. The 2011 census counted 12.55 lakh people there. KA 40 is the main office for the district, but it is not the only one.

Landmarks inside the area

Nandi Hills and the Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple at its foot, the Gauribidanur Radio Observatory and the Ranganatha temple at Rangasthala all sit within this district.

Why people ask

Weekend traffic to Nandi Hills brings many KA 40 plates into Bengaluru, which is why the code is looked up so often.

Which taluks come under KA 40?

According to Wikipedia’s list of RTO offices, the KA 40 office covers Chikkaballapura town and taluk, Gauribidanur and Gudibande, plus parts of Sidlaghatta and Bagepalli taluks. Owners living in these places register here, sit their driving tests here and come here for any counter work on their RC.

Split taluks

Sidlaghatta and Bagepalli are divided between KA 40 and KA 67. Your exact village or ward decides the office, and Vahan shows it once you enter your address.

Smaller places

Manchenahalli and Chelur, the newer taluk names in the district records, are not named in the office list, so check Vahan for them.

Why does Chikkaballapur district have two codes?

The district is long from north to south, so a second office at Chintamani handles its eastern side under KA 67. The list places that office on Hosakote–Chintamani Road, Kanampalli Layout, Chintamani 563125. It covers Chintamani taluk and the remaining parts of Sidlaghatta and Bagepalli.

Same rules, different counter

Both offices follow the same Karnataka fees and rules. Only the address you visit and the code on new plates differ.

How is the Chikkaballapur RTO code linked to Kolar?

Chikkaballapur district was carved out of Kolar district in 2007, taking Chikkaballapura, Gauribidanur, Gudibande, Bagepalli, Sidlaghatta and Chintamani with it. Kolar kept its own office, KA 07, and the Kolar Gold Fields office uses KA 08. So the Chikkaballapur RTO code and the Kolar code are separate today.

Older vehicles

We found no source giving the year the KA 40 code started. A vehicle from this area with a KA 07 plate is not unusual, and its number never changes.

Reading old RCs

An older RC may still name Kolar district in the address. That is a record from before the split, not an error.

Which codes surround KA 40?

Driving out of Chikkaballapura, you will mostly meet KA 67, KA 07, KA 43, KA 64 and KA 50 plates. Devanahalli and Yelahanka are on the road into Bengaluru, Kolar lies to the south-east and Madhugiri to the west. The table below sets out each office as Wikipedia’s RTO list describes it.

Nandi Hills Road

The Devanahalli office sits on Nandi Hills Road, so do not mix it up with KA 40. Devanahalli is in Bengaluru Rural district.

Where is the KA40 RTO office?

The KA40 RTO is listed at Chitravathi Road, Honnenahalli, Chikkaballapura 562101. That is the only address we could confirm from a reliable source. Map pins and directions in apps are not checked by the Transport Department, so treat them as a rough guide and confirm the office before a long trip.

Addressing a letter

Write: Regional Transport Office, Chitravathi Road, Honnenahalli, Chikkaballapura 562101. Put your application number on each page.

Searching on a map

Search “RTO Chikkaballapura Honnenahalli” with the PIN. A search for “RTO” alone tends to show agents’ offices first.

What work does the Chikkaballapura office handle?

The office registers vehicles, issues learner and driving licences and keeps vehicle records for its taluks. It runs on the national Vahan and Sarathi systems under the Karnataka Transport Department, so most applications start online and the counter only completes them.

Set elsewhere

Road tax rates and traffic fines are fixed by state and central rules, not by the KA 40 office.

How is a new KA 40 number issued?

When you buy a new vehicle with an address in the KA 40 area, the showroom registers it on Vahan for you. The address routes the file to Chikkaballapura, tax is paid online and Vahan gives the next free number in the running series. Our vehicle registration guide explains the forms.

1. Address check. Your address proof must fall in an area the KA 40 office covers.
2. Dealer entry. The showroom records the sale, insurance and your KYC on Vahan.
3. Payments. Road tax and the registration fee are paid online.
4. Number allotted. Vahan gives the next unused KA 40 mark, or a choice number you booked.
5. Plates and RC. High security plates are fitted and the RC is issued.

Farm and goods vehicles

Tractors, trailers and goods carriers from the district’s farming taluks often need an inspection at the office first.

How is a KA 40 number plate read?

Take KA 40 N 5521 as an illustration. KA is the state, 40 the Chikkaballapura office, the letters are the series and the last part is the vehicle’s own number of up to four digits. Series letters are used up over time, so a later series usually means a newer vehicle.

Plate colours

White with black letters is private, yellow with black is commercial, and green plates mark electric vehicles.

Special series

Karnataka keeps some letters for particular fleets, such as G for government vehicles.

How do you contact the KA40 RTO?

We could not verify a phone number, email address or office hours for the KA40 RTO from a reliable source, so none appear here. The Karnataka Transport Department site, transport.karnataka.gov.in, carries the official office list and is the safest place to find current contacts.

Numbers on map listings

Many numbers shown on review and map sites reach agents, who may charge for forms the office gives free.

What to carry

Take the printed application, the fee receipt, the original RC or licence, address proof, and valid insurance and PUC for vehicle work.

How can you look up a KA 40 vehicle online?

Enter the full number in the Vahan vehicle search or the mParivahan app. The result shows the registering office, vehicle class, fuel type, and insurance and fitness dates, with the owner’s name partly masked. Before buying a used KA 40 vehicle, match these details with the seller’s RC.

The office line

It should read Chikkaballapura. A different office means the RC was moved after an address change.

Do older KA 40 vehicles need HSRP?

Yes. On 12 June 2026 the Karnataka Transport Department said high security plates remain mandatory for vehicles registered before 1 April 2019. Fines are paused only while a High Court case is pending, so older KA 40 vehicles should still be fitted.

Booking

Booking begins on the SIAM portal, which sends you to your vehicle maker’s site to pick a dealer and slot.

What happens to a KA 40 number after you move or sell?

The number stays with the vehicle for life. Moving within Karnataka means updating the RC address, which shifts the file to the new office. A sale needs Forms 29 and 30 and a transfer application on Vahan, but the plate does not change.

Leaving Karnataka

For a permanent move to another state, take a NOC from the Chikkaballapura office and re-register within the allowed time.

Codes for every other state are on our RTO codes hub.