UP 21 RTO Moradabad: code, office and how to use it

What is the UP 21 RTO?

The UP 21 RTO is the transport office that registers vehicles and issues licences for Moradabad district. It sits at the top of the Moradabad transport region, which also covers Amroha, Bijnor, Rampur and Sambhal. Any number plate beginning UP 21 was first registered here or at its predecessor counter.

A regional office, not only a district desk

Directories name it the Regional Transport Officer Moradabad. That title signals a senior office: alongside daily counter work for Moradabad residents, it oversees the smaller offices in the four other districts of the division.

Who uses it

Residents of Moradabad city and its rural tehsils go here for registration, licences and permits. People from Amroha or Rampur use their own district offices instead.

UP 21 which city: Moradabad and its tehsils

Ask UP 21 which city and the answer is Moradabad, the brass-trading city on the Ramganga, about 165 km from New Delhi along NH 9. The code covers the whole district, though, not just the city. Its 2011 Census population was 31,26,507 across roughly 1,264.7 sq km.

The Brass City

Moradabad is often called Pital Nagri, or Brass City, for its brass handicrafts. Exporters’ delivery vans and trucks make UP 21 plates common on routes towards Delhi.

Tehsils and towns

The district has five tehsils. Sources name Bilari, Kanth and Thakurdwara, and one national directory lists a Moradabad tehsil in place of Kanth. Smaller towns such as Kundarki and Chhajlet register under UP 21 as well.

Where is the RTO office Moradabad?

The RTO office Moradabad is listed in Moradabad city, but no source we checked gives a verified street address or PIN code. DriveSpark and Spinny show only “O/o Regional Transport Officer Moradabad” with the landline 0591-2357614. Treat these contacts as leads and confirm them first.

Contact details from directories

Finding the exact location

Check the UP Transport Department contact list or the office finder on Parivahan for the present address. Local dealers and driving schools also know where the counter is.

How is the UP 21 RTO code printed on a plate?

The UP 21 RTO code is the first four characters of every Moradabad plate. A sample like UP 21 CK 3109 reads: UP for Uttar Pradesh, 21 for Moradabad, CK for the running series and 3109 for the vehicle. Only the first two blocks say where the vehicle was registered.

The 21G and 21N series

The RTO list we checked records two special series: 21G for government vehicles and 21N for commercial vehicles. A plate like UP 21 N still means Moradabad, just a different class.

Writing it in forms

Insurers print UP-21 with a hyphen; Vahan wants the number typed without spaces, such as UP21CK3109. Both refer to the same record.

Which areas left UP 21 for new codes?

Moradabad was once a much larger district. Amroha was carved out on 15 April 1997 and later got UP 23. Sambhal, first announced as Bhimnagar in September 2011, was created on 23 July 2012 with its office at Bahjoi under UP 38. New registrations in those areas no longer get UP 21.

Amroha and Gajraula

Amroha town, Hasanpur, Dhanaura and the highway town of Gajraula now register under UP 23. Our UP 23 RTO page explains that office.

Sambhal and Chandausi

Sambhal town, Chandausi and Bahjoi moved to UP 38. Plates issued before July 2012 in these places often still read UP 21.

What work does the Moradabad transport office do?

The office handles the full list of motor vehicle services for the district: new registration, ownership transfer, address change, duplicate RC, hypothecation entries, fitness checks for commercial vehicles, permits and licence tests. Almost every service now starts online, with the counter used for checks.

For vehicle owners

Dealers file new-vehicle registrations on Vahan. Owners apply themselves for transfers, NOCs, a duplicate RC or loan removal.

For drivers

Learner and permanent licence applications go through Sarathi. The driving test takes place at the office or its track on the booked date.

Enforcement

The directory lists a separate enforcement number for Moradabad, used for checking and challan work on the roads.

How do you apply for a Moradabad RTO service online?

Start online, not at the counter. Pick Vahan or Sarathi, choose Uttar Pradesh and the Moradabad office, complete the form, pay and book a slot if the service needs one. The order below holds for most applications.

1. Open the right portal. Use Vahan for vehicle work and Sarathi for a learner or driving licence.
2. Pick Uttar Pradesh and Moradabad. Choose the state, then the Moradabad office that matches the address on your documents.
3. Complete the form. Enter your registration or licence details and upload the scans the service asks for.
4. Pay the portal fee. Pay the amount shown online and save the receipt.
5. Book and attend. Choose a slot if a test or inspection is needed and bring originals on that day.

About fees

Fees vary by vehicle class and service, so the portal calculates them at checkout. We do not quote amounts here.

Avoiding touts

Agents near busy offices offer to speed things up. The online route gives you a receipt and a trackable application without extra charges.

Which nearby codes get mixed up with UP 21?

Plates from the neighbouring districts are common on Moradabad roads. UP 22 Rampur and UP 23 Amroha are confused with UP 21 most often, because both towns sit within an hour of the city. UP 20 Bijnor, UP 38 Sambhal and UP 24 Badaun are close by too.

Rampur’s own variants

Rampur follows a similar pattern with 22G and 22T series. A UP 22 T plate is a Rampur commercial vehicle, not a Moradabad one.

Every code in the state

For the complete numbering from UP 11 onward, open our UP RTO code list.

How do you check a UP 21 vehicle record?

Type the full registration number on Vahan or the mParivahan app. The public result shows the registering authority, vehicle class, fuel, registration date and validity, with the owner’s name partly hidden. For a UP 21 plate, the authority should read Moradabad.

Signs to slow down

If a UP 21 number shows a different office, or the chassis number on the RC does not match the vehicle, pause the deal and ask the seller to explain.

Before buying second-hand

Check for a loan entry, pending challans and insurance validity on the same record before you pay.

Do old UP 21 plates in Amroha or Sambhal change?

No. A registration mark stays with the vehicle within the state, so a car registered at Moradabad in 2008 by a Chandausi owner keeps its UP 21 number. What changes is the address: under Section 49 of the Motor Vehicles Act, the owner reports a new address within 30 days.

Which office to choose

When filing the address update on Vahan, pick the office for your present district, such as Sambhal or Amroha, so later services go there.

Which other states use the number 21?

Several states have a 21 office. MH 21 is Jalna, RJ 21 is Nagaur, GJ 21 is Navsari, TN 21 is Kanchipuram and KL 21 is Nedumangad. The two state letters tell them apart, so read those first. The RTO codes and offices hub covers every state.

Quick check

Look at the first two letters, then the digits. UP followed by 21 is always Moradabad.

Taking a UP 21 vehicle to another state

A short trip to Delhi or Uttarakhand needs only a valid RC, insurance and PUC. Under Section 47 of the Motor Vehicles Act, though, a vehicle kept in another state for more than 12 months must get a new registration mark there.

The NOC step

Before re-registering elsewhere, apply on Vahan for a no objection certificate from the Moradabad office, then take it to the new state’s RTO.

Coming back

A vehicle that returns later is registered again under the office for the address at that time.