Maharashtra mandates high security plates for pre-2019 vehicles

More than 20 million vehicle owners in Maharashtra face a looming deadline to install High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) on their vehicles

Mumbai: More than 20 million vehicle owners in Maharashtra face a looming deadline to install High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) on their vehicles registered before April 2019, following a directive from the state's Transport Department.

Heavy traffic on Sion – Panvel Highway in Navi Mumbai. (BACHCHAN KUMAR/HT PHOTO)

The department issued an internal note on December 4, accompanied by Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), instructing Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) that all vehicles must display these specialised plates by March 31, 2025.

RTO officials emphasise that vehicle owners bear the responsibility for installing these sophisticated registration plates. Manufactured from aluminium alloy, the plates feature a retro-reflective film with a verification inscription reading 'India', a chromium-based Ashok Chakra hologram, and a unique serial number. The mandate aims to reduce vehicle theft, standardise vehicle identification marks, and streamline RTO system access.

The HSRP initiative, which began in April 2019, has been standard for all newly manufactured vehicles since its inception. "It also has a 10-digit unique number that is embossed with laser making it tamper proof. With the SOP issued, all those vehicles registered before April 2019 too need to have HSRP before the March 2025 deadline", according to transport officials.

In Mumbai alone, where four RTOs operate—Tardeo, Andheri, Wadala, and Borivali—approximately 4.8 million vehicles are registered. The installation costs have been set at ₹450 for two-wheelers and tractors, ₹500 for three-wheelers, and ₹745 for four-wheelers, including cars, trucks, buses, and other vehicles, with GST charged additionally.

Following a competitive tendering process, the Maharashtra Transport Commissioner's Office has appointed three agencies to implement the programme: Rosmerta Safety Systems Ltd, Real Mazon India Ltd, and FTA HSRP Solutions Pvt Ltd. These companies will manage the installation of new registration plates across three zones throughout Maharashtra.

After the March 2025 deadline expires, RTO enforcement authorities and Traffic Police will have the power to take legal action and impose fines for non-compliance under Section 177 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.