Carrying valid motor insurance while driving a car on Indian roads is compulsory. The Motor Vehicle Act of 1988 has made it mandatory to have at least third-party car insurance. It compensates for any injury, property damage, or even death of a third party, in an accident caused by collision with the insured car.

However, for extensive coverage, it is recommended to go for a comprehensive car insurance plan that provides for both third-party as well as own damage expenses.

For buying any type of car insurance policy, you will need the registration number of your car. Let us understand the significance of this number and how to find a policy number using the Vehicle Registration Number of a car.

What Is a Car Registration Number?

The Car Registration Number is issued by the Regional Transport Office (RTO) of the particular district to a vehicle. It is essential for all cars as it helps in the identification of the car and its owner. After purchasing a brand-new car, the owner must get it registered with the local RTO within 30 days of its purchase. Once the registration of the car is done, the RTO provides a unique registration number that is printed on the car’s number plates for its identification.

Usually, this number comes in the format of AA BB AA BBBB. Here, ‘A’ represents letters, while ‘B’ symbolizes numbers. The first two letters indicate the state code, where the car is registered. The following two digits represent the district code and the next two alphabets indicate the current series of the RTO, devised for vehicle classification. The last four digits of the registration number are for the identification of your car. So for example, if your car’s registration number is UP 32 GB 1994, then ‘UP’ stands for the state(Uttar Pradesh) in which the car is registered, 32 represents the district where the RTO exists, GB is the RTO sequence number and 1994 is the car’s unique identification number.

Finding Car Details Through Car Registration Number

With the surging influx of cars in India, sometimes it gets difficult to trace the details of cars. Some crucial reasons for finding car details include cases of Hit and Run, accidents, buying used cars, and getting a No Objection Certificate or NOC. All essential details of a car can be accessed through its registration number. This process is simple and details can be tracked online at the national registry website, better known as VAHAN.

VANAH is a central database containing all-important vehicle information, such as fuel type, owner name, road tax details, car class or type, registration date, registration number, insurance expiry date, etc. It consolidates all the data regarding driving licenses and vehicle registration certificates from various DTOs and RTOs.

You can check vehicle details using its registration number by following these easy steps on the VAHAN portal:

  • Step 1: Visit the Parivahan website to check the car details.
  • Step 2: Click on Know Your Vehicle Details.
  • Step 3: On the Citizen Login page, enter your registered mobile number. You can create a new account if you have not registered on the portal.
  • Step 4: After this, you need to enter your car registration number and click on Search Car.
  • Step 5: Note down the details of your car anytime, anywhere, or even on the go.