To ensure seamless transfer of personal vehicles across states, the road transport ministry has come up with a new registration mark for new vehicles - Bharat Series (BH-series).

In this regard, the government has notified a new vehicle registration regime that will free vehicle owners from re-registration process when they shift from one state/union territory to another.

"This vehicle registration facility under 'Bharat series (BH-series)' will be available on voluntary basis to defense personnel, employees of central government/ state government/ central/ state public sector undertakings and private sector companies/organisations, which have their offices in four or more states/union territories," the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) said in a statement.

This scheme, it said, will facilitate free movement of personal vehicles across states/union territories of India upon relocation.

The statement further said that an IT-based solution for vehicle registration is one such effort as "one of the pain points in the vehicle registration process that needed attention was re-registration of a vehicle while moving to another state".

The format of BH-series registration mark will be YY BH #### XX. YY denotes the year of first registration, BH is code for Bharat Series, #### is the randomised four digit number and XX are two alphabets.

The MORTH through a "notification dated 26th August 2021, has introduced a new registration mark for new vehicles i.e. 'Bharat series (BH-series)'. A vehicle bearing this registration mark shall not require assignment of a new registration mark when the owner of the vehicle shifts from one state to another", the statement further explained.

According to the notification, the motor vehicle tax levied by the state and union territories at the time of registration in respect to BH-series non-transport vehicle will be 8 per cent in case of vehicles costing up to Rs 10 lakh, 10 per cent in case of vehicles costing between Rs 10-20 lakh and 12 per cent in case of vehicles costing above 20 lakh.

It further said that 2 per cent extra charge will be levied for diesel vehicles, while electric vehicles will be charged 2 per cent less tax.

In case, where the vehicle bears BH-series registration mark, the motor vehicle tax shall be levied electronically.

The new rules also called Central Motor Vehicles (Twentieth Amendment) Rules, 2021, shall come into force with effect from September 15, 2021. The registration mark for BH-series vehicle will be generated randomly through the portal.

Currently, a person is allowed to keep vehicle for a maximum of 12 months in any state other than the state where it is registered. The owners has to get such vehicles re-registered before the expiry of 12 months.

At present, a passenger vehicle owner for re-registration of vehicle has to take no objection certificate from the parent state for assignment of a new registration mark in another state.

Also, the assignment of new registration mark is done after the road tax on prorata basis is paid in the new state.