What 22 BH 1234 AA means: year, Bharat series code, random number and letters
Runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere. Checked against sources on 29 Sept 2026.A Bharat series number such as 22 BH 1234 AA reads as the year of registration, the letters BH, a four-digit number the VAHAN portal picks at random, and one or two letters. The format comes from G.S.R. 594(E) of 26 August 2021. The number carries no state or RTO code, so the owner keeps it after moving to another state.
| Part | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 22 | Last two digits of the year of registration |
| Code | BH | Bharat series |
| Number | 1234 | Random, 0001 to 9999 |
| Letters | AA | A to ZZ, without I and O |
Rates and rules read from the sources listed on this page (the earliest on 29 Sept 2026); they may have changed since.
The page opens on 22 BH 1234 AA; replace it in "Number on the plate" with the BH number you want to read.
Read "Bharat series" at the top of the result for the decoded number.
Check the parts table for the registration year, the BH code, the random number and the letters.
Press "Share result" to copy a link to this reading.
An Indian registration number is built to a fixed pattern. The first two letters are the state or union territory, allotted by the central government under the Motor Vehicles Act. The next one or two digits are the registering office, usually a Regional or District Transport Office. Then come up to three series letters and a number from 0001 to 9999. When a series reaches 9999, the next one starts; the letters I and O are skipped so they are not confused with 1 and 0.
Bharat series numbers carry no state. Since 15 September 2021, employees of the defence forces, governments, public sector undertakings, and companies with offices in four or more states can choose a number like 22 BH 1234 AA. It shows the year of registration, BH, a random number and one or two letters, and it stays the same when the owner moves.
What this tool does not do. It only reads the format of the number you type. It never contacts VAHAN or any other database, and it cannot show an owner's name, address, insurance, challans or any other detail of a vehicle. For official vehicle details, use the Parivahan website.
The rest of the article, and all 6 questions about Vehicle Number RTO Decoder, are on the Vehicle Number RTO Decoder page.
Read the first two letters. Each state and union territory has its own code under the Motor Vehicles Act: MH is Maharashtra, DL is Delhi, KA is Karnataka and TN is Tamil Nadu. India uses 36 codes today. Type the whole number into the decoder to see the state and the registering office together.
BH stands for Bharat series, a national registration introduced by G.S.R. 594(E) in 2021. A number such as 22 BH 1234 AA shows the year of registration, BH, a random four-digit number and one or two letters. The owner keeps the same number after moving to another state.
Delhi puts the vehicle class right after the zonal office code. In DL 3C AB 1234, 3 is the South zone office at Lado Sarai and C means a private car. S marks a two-wheeler, P a bus, R an autorickshaw, T a taxi and Y or Z a tourist taxi.
Some codes are new, reserved for police or government vehicles, or used only for a special series, and a few are missing from both the VAHAN office list and the secondary Wikipedia list. The decoder still names the state. A mistyped digit is another common cause, so check the plate again.
Rates and rules change; check the source before you rely on a figure.
Still stuck? Ask about Vehicle Number RTO Decoder and anybody who knows can answer. No account needed.
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