BH Series Number Plate in Kerala: Who Qualifies and What Tax You Pay

A BH (Bharat series) number plate lets a private car or bike move between states without being re-registered, and in Kerala you can get one if you are a government or defence employee, or work for a private company with offices in four or more states or union territories. Road tax is paid two years at a time instead of in one lump at registration. The catch for Kerala owners: in January 2025 the Kerala High Court ruled that BH vehicles registered here pay tax under the Kerala Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, 1976, not at the central rates.

• Who is eligible for a BH series number plate?
• How much tax do you pay on a BH number plate?
• What did the Kerala High Court rule?
• What are the steps to get a BH number in Kochi?
• Is a BH plate worth it?

Who is eligible for a BH series number plate?

The scheme came from the Central Motor Vehicles (Twentieth Amendment) Rules, 2021, notified by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in August 2021 and in force from 15 September 2021. It is voluntary and covers non-transport vehicles only, so no taxis or goods carriers. The groups who qualify are:

• Defence personnel
• Central and state government employees
• Employees of central or state public sector undertakings
• Private sector employees whose company or organisation has offices in four or more states or union territories

That last line is the one that matters for Kakkanad. Plenty of Infopark staff work for firms with offices across the country, and those are the people the scheme was written for: a car bought in Kochi can follow its owner to Bengaluru or Pune with the same plate. A normal KL-registered vehicle that operates in another state for more than a year has to be moved to that state's registration, which is the paperwork the BH plate removes. If you are moving the other way, our guide to RC transfer in Kochi covers the standard route.

How much tax do you pay on a BH number plate?

Under the 2021 central rules, tax is collected for two years, or multiples of two, instead of the long upfront period a normal registration carries. The central rules set these rates on the invoice price:

Invoice price	Central BH rate
Up to Rs 10 lakh	8%
Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh	10%
Above Rs 20 lakh	12%
Diesel vehicles	2% more
Electric vehicles	2% less

Treat that table as the national template, not the Kerala bill. Which brings us to the court.

What did the Kerala High Court rule?

Kerala resisted BH registration for a long time. In 2022 the High Court told the state it was bound to consider applications for BH registration. Then in January 2025 Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh, hearing a batch of petitions from owners who had been refused, held that motor vehicle tax is a state subject and that the Centre has no power to fix the rate for BH vehicles. The court directed the transport authorities to register the petitioners' vehicles in the BH series and to collect tax under the Kerala Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, 1976.

In plain terms: you can get the plate in Kerala, but you should not expect the central percentages. Ask the RTO for the figure under the Kerala Act before you decide, and get it in writing on the fee receipt.

What are the steps to get a BH number in Kochi?

The route is the Vahan portal of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and in practice most people let the dealer do it when buying a new car. The steps are:

• Tell the dealer you want BH series before registration; the dealer files Form 20 on Vahan on your behalf.
• Private sector employees also submit Form 60 with their employee ID and a working certificate from the employer.
• Keep your Aadhaar and PAN ready, plus a valid PUC certificate.
• The state verifies eligibility, the RTO approves the BH series and you pay the tax online.

The plate follows the format YY BH #### XX: the two digits of the registration year, then BH, a four-digit number and two letters.

Is a BH plate worth it?

If you expect to leave Kerala within a few years, yes. The real saving is avoiding re-registration in a new state, plus not paying years of tax upfront on a car you will drive elsewhere. If you are a Kochi lifer working for a private employer with offices in fewer than four states, you are not eligible anyway, and a normal KL plate is the simpler choice. One warning: the two-year cycle means the tax bill comes round again, so put the renewal date in your calendar the day the plate arrives. For more paperwork explainers, see our Guides section.