50/177 MV Act – Driving with a defective number plate

50/177 MV Act – Driving with a defective number plate

50/177 MV Act Fine – 500 (five hundred rupees)

50 The Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 – Form and manner of display of registration marks on the motor vehicles. –

[(1) On or after commencement of this rule, the registration mark referred to in sub-section (6)of section 41 shall be displayed both at the front and at the rear of all motor vehicles clearly and legibly in the form of security license plate of the following specifications, namely:

(i) the plate shall be a solid unit made of 1.0mm aluminium conforming to [AIS:159:2019 as amended from time to time (till such time BIS specification is notified under the Bureau of Indian Standard Act, 2016 (11 of 2016) or ISO:7591]. Border edges and corners of the plate shall be rounded to avoid injuries to the extent of approx. 10 mm and the plates must have an embossed border. The plate shall be suitable for hot stamping and reflective sheet has to be guaranteed for imperishable nature for minimum five years. The fast colouring of legend and border to be done by hot stamping;

(ii) the plate should bear the letters IND in blue colour on the extreme left center of the plate. The letter should be one-fourth of the size of letters mentioned in rule 51 and should be buried into the foil or applied by hot stamping and should be integral part of the plate;

(iii) each plate shall be protected against counterfeiting by applying chromium-based hologram, applied by hot stamping. Stickers and adhesive labels are not permitted. The plate shall bear a permanent consecutive identification number of minimum [ten] digits, to be laser branded into the reflective sheeting and hot stamping film shall bear a verification inscription;

(iv) apart from the registration marks on the front and rear, the third registration mark in the form of self-destructive type, chromium based hologram sticker shall be affixed on the left-hand topside of the windshield of the vehicle. The registration details such as registration number, registering authority, etc., shall be printed on the sticker. The third registration mark shall be issued by the [registering authority/vehicle manufacturer and their dealers] along with the regular registration marks, and thereafter if such sticker is destroyed it shall be issued by the [registering authority/vehicles manufacturer and their dealers:];

[(v) the plate shall be fastened with non-removable / non- reusable snap lock fitting system on rear of the vehicle;

The license plates with all the above specifications and the specified registrations for a new vehicle shall be issued by the registering authority or vehicle manufacturers and their dealers and for existing old registered vehicle shall be issued by registering authority or vehicle manufacturers and their dealers or by the [licence plate manufacturers or their dealers approved by the State Government or Union Territory Administration]. The Central Road Research Institute, New Delhi or any agency authorised under rule 126 shall approve the security registration as per the provisions of this rule]

(vi) the size of the plate for different categories of vehicles shall be as follows:

For two and three-wheelers	200 x100 mm
For Light Motor Vehicles/Passenger cars	340 x 200 mm/500 x 120 mm
[For medium commercial vehicles, heavy commercial vehicles and Trailer/combination:]	340 x 200 mm/500 x 120 mm]

[Provided that the High Security Registration Plate including the third registration mark, wherever required, shall be supplied by the vehicle manufacturers along with the vehicles manufactured on or after the 1st day of April, 2019 to their dealers and dealers shall place a mark of registration on such plates and affix them on the vehicle.

Provided further that the dealers of the vehicle manufacturers may also affix such plates, supplied by the vehicle manufacturers, on old vehicles after placing the registration mark of registration thereon];

[Provided [also] that the size of the registration plates for agricultural tractors shall be as follows] :-

Front –	285×45 mm
Rear –	200x100mm]:

[Provided also that the size of registration plate for combine harvester shall be 340mm X 200 mm and exhibited at the front and at the rear of combine harvester and at the rear of trailer for header assembly used during transport:]

[Provided also that the size of registration plate for power tiller shall be 285×45 mm and shall be exhibited at the front. Further, in case of trailer coupled to power tiller,the size of registration plate shall be 200×100 mm and shall be exhibited on its rear:]

[Provided also that in case of a motor cycle, the size of 285×45 mm for front registration plate shall also be permitted.]

[Provided also that in case of Construction Equipment Vehicles, the size of plate shall be 500×120 mm or 340×200 mm or 200x100mm or 285x45mm, depending on the equipment size and availability of space.]

(2) In the case of motor cycles the registration mark in the front shall be displayed parallel to the handle bar or on any part of the vehicle including mudguard facing the front instead of, on a plate in line with the axis of the vehicle:

Provided that –

(a) the registration mark exhibited at the rear of a transport vehicle shall be affixed to the vehicle on the right hand side at a distance not exceeding one metre from the ground as may be reasonably possible having regard to the type of the body of the vehicle;

(b) the registration mark shall also be painted on the right and left side on the body of the vehicle in the case of a transport vehicle;

(c) the registration mark shall also be painted and exhibited on the partition provided between the driver and the passengers,facing the passengers seats or, where there is no such partition, on the front interior of the vehicle near the roof to the left side of the drivers seat facing the passengers seats in the case of a stage carriage or a contract carriage and in the case of a motor cab or a taxi cab it shall be sufficient if the registration mark is painted on the dash-board;

[(d) the letters of the registration mark shall be in English and the figures shall be in Arabic numerals and shall be shown:

(A) in the case of transport vehicles in black colour on yellow background; and

[(AB) in case of motor cab under rent a cab scheme, 1989 or motor cycle (L1 and L2 category two wheeler) under rent a motor cycle scheme 1997, in yellow colour on black background, however in case of battery operated or electrically powered motor cab under rent a cab scheme 1989 or motor cycle under rent a motor cycle scheme 1997, in black colour on green background; and]

(B) in other cases, in black colour on white background, the registration mark on the trailer shall be exhibited on the left hand side in black colour on yellow background. In addition, the registration mark on the drawing vehicle shall be exhibited on the trailer also and this shall be done on the right hand side at the rear of the trailer or the last trailer as the case may be, in black colour on retro-reflective type yellow background:

Provided that where provisions of this clause have not been complied with in respect of motor vehicle, on or before the commencement of the Central Motor Vehicles (8th Amendment)Rules, 2001, then the provisions shall be complied with,

(i) in respect of transport vehicle, on or before 1st February, 2002; and

(ii) in other cases, on or before 1st July, 2002.]

[2A. In case of Battery Operated Vehicles, the registration mark shall be exhibited in Yellow colour on Green background for transport vehicles and for all other cases, in White colour on Green background.]

[(3) The registration mark shall be exhibited in two lines, the State code and registering authority code forming the first line and the rest forming the second line, one below the other:

[Provided that the registration mark in the front may be in one line, in case, in 200mm x 100mm size plate, there is no sufficient place to exhibit the registration mark in one line, the registration mark may be exhibited in two lines:]

(i) where the total number of alpha numeric characters in the registration mark is even, then, equal number of alpha numeric character in each line; and

(ii) where the total number of alpha numeric characters in the registration mark is odd, then any extra alpha numeric character shall be exhibited on the second line,

and all dimensions shall be maintained as per rule 51 without disturbing security features in the plate:

Provided further that in models of vehicles having no sufficient provision at the rear to exhibit the registration mark in two lines, it shall be sufficient if in such vehicles registration mark is exhibited in a single line:

Provided further that registration mark on a light motor vehicle may be in the centre with illumination.

(4) Every motor vehicle, except motor cab and motor car,manufactured on and from the date of commencement of the Central Motor Vehicles(Amendment) Rules, 1993, shall be provided with sufficient space in the rear for display of registration mark in two lines.

(5) In case of agricultural tractors, the registration mark need not be inclined to the [vertical plane by more than 45 degrees].

(6) The registration mark of the drawing agricultural tractor may not be exhibited on the agricultural trailer or trailers.]

[(7) The registration mark of the modular hydraulic trailer may not be exhibited on the puller tractor.]

[(8) The registration mark for BH-series vehicle generated randomly through the portal shall be in black on white background and shall be exhibited in the following manner, namely:-

XXLast two digits of the year of registration

XXBharat Series code (2) letters as “BH”

####XX4 numerals 0001 to 9999 followed by letter(s) A, B, C …and then AA, AB…..AZ, BA, BB …..to ZZ excluding ‘I’ & ‘O’.]

Section 177 of MV Act 1988 :- General provision for punishment of offences —

Whoever contravenes any provision of this Act or of any rule, regulation or notification made thereunder shall, if no penalty is provided for the offence be punishable for the first offence with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees, and for any second or subsequent offence with fine which may extend to one thousand and five hundred rupees.

50/177 MV Act FAQ

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