TN: Amid policy shift row, application forms issued for fancy registration numbers

CHENNAI: Amid controversy over the State government's decision to revert to the first-come-first-served (FCFS) system for allotting fancy vehicle registration numbers instead of the e-bidding mechanism introduced by the previous regime, the Transport Department has uploaded the application form and the list of mandatory documents required to obtain such numbers.

The move comes days after the department issued a draft gazette notification on June 22 proposing a steep revision in the fees for obtaining fancy registration numbers through the FCFS system.

In October 2025, the then government had amended the Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, to replace the existing FCFS method with an e-bidding system, with the objective of improving transparency and increasing government revenue. But the e-bidding system was not implemented by the previous government, source said.

However, the present TVK government has proposed to continue with the FCFS method while substantially increasing the fees. The draft notification proposes to double the charges for most advance registration number categories and introduces a new premium slab of Rs 8 lakh for numbers in far-ahead future registration series.

At present, vehicle registration numbers are allotted randomly at the time of registration. Vehicle owners seeking a specific number within 1,000 numbers of the running series can obtain it from the Regional Transport Office (RTO) by paying the prescribed fee.

The draft notification also proposes replacing the existing flat-rate fee structure for fancy numbers with a value-based pricing mechanism. For two-wheelers and three-wheelers, the fee would range from Rs 2,000 for vehicles costing up to Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh for vehicles valued above Rs 30 lakh.

For registration numbers beyond the running series, future series numbers and government-reserved fancy numbers, prior approval from the State government would continue to be mandatory.

Under the proposal, the fee for obtaining a number in the current series and the next three series would increase from Rs 40,000 to Rs 80,000. Charges for numbers in the fifth to eighth future series would rise from Rs 60,000 to Rs 1.2 lakh, while those in the ninth and tenth future series would increase from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh.

The fee for registration numbers in the eleventh and twelfth future series has been proposed to be doubled from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 4 lakh. A new category has also been introduced for numbers in the thirteenth and fourteenth future series, with a proposed fee of Rs 8 lakh.

Sources in the office of the Transport Commissioner said the application form for obtaining fancy registration numbers, along with the list of mandatory supporting documents, had been uploaded on the department's website. "Applicants seeking fancy registration numbers can now apply through a transparent process," the sources said.

According to the application guidelines uploaded by the Transport Department, applicants must first verify the availability of the desired registration number on the Parivahan Sewa Fancy Number portal before submitting their application. The filled-in application form, along with the prescribed supporting documents, must be emailed to hometransport6@gmail.com. Once approved, the government order sanctioning the allotment will be sent to the applicant through the registered email address or mobile number.