Why using a fancy number plate for your car can get you into trouble

Why using a fancy number plate for your car can get you into trouble  31st October 2022

Have you bought a brand-new car and are excited to hit the road? The first thing that the law requires is that you need a number plate on the front and rear to display the vehicle registration number. So many of us would love to go for a fancy number plate that makes our car look unique and cool.

But wait. Are you aware you can get into trouble using a fancy number plate for your car? Let us see how.

1. Fines:
According to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, you must follow a specific format for your car’s number plate. It specifies the size of the number plate for light motor vehicles and passenger vehicles, respectively. It also specifies the font height and width to be used and the spacing between every font or number. It then specifies the colour combination according to your vehicle category.
A fancy number plate will usually violate one or more of the above guidelines. People go for fancy fonts and colour combinations, write the number to resemble some word or name, or change the size to make it look unique. In any of these cases, the traffic police can issue a challan and impose a penalty on you.
According to section 192(1) of the Motor Vehicles Act, fancy and improper number plates can be fined up to INR 5000. However, this penalty varies from one state to another.

2. Cancellation of licence:
Using a fancy number plate that does not conform to the law is considered illegal in India. Some states have a provision for cancelling the licences of repeat offenders who do not get their number plate changed according to the allowed format despite repeated challans and warnings.

3. Vehicle seizure and imprisonment:
If you choose to delete a number or two in the quest to make your number plate extra fancy, the police have the authority to seize your vehicle and register a criminal case against you. This can lead to your imprisonment as well.

4. Insurance claim:
A fancy number plate can indirectly impact the settlement of your car insurance claim, too, in the event of an accident. If the police have suspended your licence due to the faulty fancy number plate and you meet with an accident in your car, you cannot raise an insurance claim. This can result in heavy monetary loss to you if the accident is major.

Security concerns with fancy number plates:
Fancy number plates usually have fancy fonts that cannot be read easily. This can be troublesome for authorities to trace you or your car in case of theft, traffic violation, or even an accident. If the law starts permitting fancy number plates, criminals will start using this to their advantage.

It is natural that you would want a personalised fancy number plate after buying an expensive car. It will be your style statement and make your car look cooler. However, as mentioned above, a fancy number plate can get you in trouble.

So, stay out of it and make your life simpler by using a number plate that is permitted by law. Online motor insurance is another way by which you can make your life simpler and hassle-free. It has all the advantages of an offline policy and provides you the ease and convenience of choice, comparison, and quick claim settlement, all from the comfort of your home or office.

Click HERE to buy online motor insurance to protect your car against damages.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.