How to Book a Fancy Number Plate in Chennai and What are Its Charges?

In Chennai, obtaining a fancy number plate offers vehicle owners a unique way to personalise their cars and bikes. While car modifications have long been popular in India, the demand for special number plates has been growing steadily. 

Fancy number plates provide a legitimate option for vehicle owners to add a custom touch to their vehicles. Though the process involves specific guidelines and procedures, it allows owners to stand out on the road. 

This article outlines the application process and associated fees for securing a fancy number plate in Chennai for both cars and bikes.

A fancy number plate can be described as a car registration number that is more than just an assortment of numbers. These plates often contain clear and conspicuous numbers like 0001, 1111, or any other attractive or meaningful number to the owner or culture.

However, if you want to get special numbers for your car or bike in Chennai, then you have to pay some extra amount of money to the RTO for the VIP or fancy number plate. Nevertheless, one should note that before applying for these special numbers, it is recommended to check if they are actually available.

A fancy number plate in Chennai is assigned through an e-auction, making the process entirely online. To book a fancy number, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Register on the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) website as a Public User.
• Step 2: After creating the account and entering the login, select the desired fancy number.
• Step 3: You are required to make the payment for the specific registration fee depending on the number chosen.
• Step 4: Bid for the VIP number of your choice in the bidding process.
• Step 5: In case the outcome is negative, then the remaining balance has to be paid or if it is positive, then a refund has to be requested.
• Step 6: Lastly, you should print the allotment letter for your own use.

To check if a VIP number plate is available in Chennai, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Go to the Parivahan Sewa portal, managed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
• Step 2: Look for the ‘User Online Services’ option in the menu and click on ‘Available Numbers Report.’

• Step 3: Choose Tamil Nadu as the state, select the relevant RTO office in Chennai, and pick the open series name.

The following are the steps you need to follow to book a fancy number online in Chennai:

• Step 1: Go to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and then click on the Parivahan Sewa portal under the ‘Road Transport’ section.

• Step 2: In the ‘Online Services’ list, click on the ‘Fancy Number Booking’ link.

• Step 3: Enter the user ID and password to log into the system.

Follow the step-by-step procedure to book a fancy number offline in Chennai:

• Step 1: Go to your nearest local RTO office in Chennai.
• Step 2: Ask which fancy numbers are available in the current series.
• Step 3: Choose the number you prefer and complete an application form for the selected number.
• Step 4: Pay the necessary fee to reserve the number.

If more than one person applies for the same number, it is generally assigned to the individual who pays the highest road tax.

Before applying for a VIP number plate in Chennai, there are several important factors to keep in mind:

• Some of the most popular VIP plates have been known to be quite costly, especially when the plate number is 0001. It is important to have enough money that is required to undertake the process.
• Bear in mind that a VIP number plate is an official reference number for a vehicle, thus, one should not buy it from a third party.
• Be sure to adhere to all the formalities and fill in all the necessary documents that are used in the application process.
• If you are planning to sell your car, then check whether the VIP plate can be transferred to the buyer or not. Usually, the resale of such plates is permitted under certain conditions and the transfer of these plates in an open market may be prohibited.
• Having a VIP plate does not mean that a person does not have to abide by the traffic laws.
• It is also important to note that VIP plates are different from the Bharat (BH) Series plates in terms of usage.
• Remember that single-digit number plates are not allowed in India.

To register a VIP or fancy number plate in Chennai through the e-auction process, you have to follow these steps:

• Step 1: Sign up on the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) official website and obtain a Unique Acknowledgement Number (UAN).
• Step 2: To get a fancy number, you are required to pay a non-refundable registration fee in addition to the reserve price.
• Step 3: Choose and block the specific number that you are interested in bidding.
• Step 4: The e-auction process takes five days in total where three days are given for registration and two days for the bidding process.
• Step 5: In the second auction type, you can bid on categories 1-4 in increments of ₹10,000 and for the bid on category 5 in increments of ₹1,000.

Successful bidders will be notified through SMS and email. You are required to clear the balance amount online within 5 days from the date of the result declaration.

To sum up, the method of getting a fancy number plate in Chennai is quite thrilling for the owners of cars and bikes. Depending on the online or offline procedures, you can obtain the unique registration number that is associated with your style. 

Regardless of applying through e-auction or by personally going to the RTO, you must adhere to the guidelines, pay the required fees, and submit documents to make a vehicle unique on the road.