RTO Code Search
Find the RTO office, state, and city for any vehicle registration code in India.
RTO code search finds any Regional Transport Office in India. Enter a vehicle registration prefix, city name, or state to look it up. Type a code like MH01 or DL02, or browse all RTOs by state. The tool covers all 36 states and union territories. Free, no signup required.
Enter a vehicle registration prefix (e.g. MH, DL12), a city, or a state name.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is an RTO code?
- An RTO code is the prefix on an Indian vehicle registration number. It identifies the Regional Transport Office where the vehicle was registered. The first two letters denote the state, and the following digits identify the specific RTO office within that state. MH01 means Maharashtra RTO 01, which is Mumbai Central.
- How do I find the RTO from a vehicle number?
- Take the first four characters of the vehicle number. MH12AB1234 uses MH12, which is the Kolhapur RTO in Maharashtra. Enter MH12 in this tool to confirm the office and location. The state code is the first two letters and the office number follows.
- How many RTOs are there in India?
- India has over 1,100 Regional Transport Offices spread across 36 states and union territories. Each state has multiple RTOs covering different districts and cities. Maharashtra alone has over 50 RTOs. Metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai have several offices each.
- What does DL mean in a vehicle number?
- DL stands for Delhi. A vehicle registered in Delhi starts with DL followed by a two-digit office number. DL01 is Delhi Central, DL02 is Delhi South, DL03 is Delhi North, and so on. Delhi has 11 RTOs to handle vehicle registrations across its districts.
- What is the RTO code for Mumbai?
- Mumbai has multiple RTOs. MH01 covers Mumbai Central, MH02 covers Mumbai Western, and MH03 covers Mumbai Eastern. Thane uses MH04, Kalyan uses MH05, and Navi Mumbai uses MH43. The code depends on which part of the Mumbai metropolitan area the vehicle was registered in.
- Can a vehicle have a different RTO code than where the owner lives?
- Yes. The RTO code reflects where the vehicle was originally registered, not where the owner currently lives. If a person moves from Pune to Delhi, their car retains the MH12 code unless they re-register it in Delhi. Re-registration is mandatory after 12 months of staying in a new state.
What is RTO Code Search?
RTO Code Search helps you identify the Regional Transport Office behind any Indian vehicle registration number. Every vehicle on Indian roads carries a registration number. The format starts with a two-letter state code and a two-digit RTO number. MH01 means the first RTO in Maharashtra, which covers Mumbai Central. DL05 points to the Delhi East office.
The tool covers all states and union territories. Search by a registration prefix, a city name, or browse by state.
How does it work?
Enter the first two to four characters of any vehicle registration number. MH alone returns all Maharashtra RTOs. MH01 returns the exact Mumbai Central office. You can also type a city like Bengaluru or Jaipur to see all offices in that city. The state dropdown lists every state and UT for browsing.
Registration numbers follow a fixed format: state code, RTO number, letter series, then a 4-digit sequence. A number like KA05JA1234 breaks down as KA for Karnataka, 05 for Coimbatore road, then the series and sequence. The RTO code tells you exactly where the vehicle was first registered.
RTO Code Search in India
India has over 1,100 RTOs managed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Each operates under a state transport authority. RTOs handle new vehicle registrations, transfers of ownership, driving licence issues, fitness certificates, and permit renewals.
Vehicle registration numbers changed to a new high-security registration plate format from 2019 onward. All plates now follow the BH-series format for vehicles belonging to central government employees who transfer frequently between states. BH plates skip the state prefix entirely and use BH followed by the year of registration.
Knowing the RTO code has practical uses. Used car buyers verify the registration source before purchase. Insurance companies use the code to estimate claim risk by region. Traffic challans and court notices cite the RTO code to route them to the correct authority. Police check the code during vehicle verification.
State codes are fixed by the Motor Vehicles Act. New states and union territories receive new codes. Telangana received TS when it separated from Andhra Pradesh in 2014. Ladakh received LA when it became a union territory in 2019.
Tips to get the best results
- Enter just the state code to see all RTOs in that state. MH returns all 50+ Maharashtra offices in one list.
- Metro cities have multiple RTOs. Mumbai has Central, Western, Eastern, and Navi Mumbai offices. Enter the full four-character code like MH04 to pinpoint Thane.
- Uttarakhand uses UK, not UT. Uttar Pradesh uses UP. Do not confuse the two: UP11 is Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, not Uttarakhand.
- Odisha changed its state code from OR to OD. Some older vehicles still carry OR plates. Both are valid but new registrations use OD.
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