How to Get a Fancy (VIP) Vehicle Number in Puducherry: Fees, Auction and Rules
This guide is also available in Tamil: தமிழில் படிக்க.
Many people want a lucky or easy-to-remember registration number when they buy a new vehicle. In Puducherry, the Transport Department allots these fancy (VIP) numbers through online auction and booking. This guide explains the number categories, base prices, how to apply and the rules to watch for.
What is a fancy number?
A normal registration gets the next number in the series. A fancy number is one you choose in advance, such as 0001, 1111 or 0786, by paying a fee. If several people want the same number, it goes to the highest bidder in the auction.
Number categories and base prices
The Transport Department’s rules place fancy numbers in four categories. The base price depends on the engine capacity of the vehicle.
| Category | Examples | Up to 1800 cc | Above 1800 cc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Fancy | Single-digit numbers such as 0001, 0002; 1000, 2000; 1111, 2222; 0786 | Rs 25,000 | Rs 50,000 |
| Fancy | 0011, 0022; 0100, 0200; 0111, 0222 | Rs 20,000 | Rs 40,000 |
| Semi Fancy | 0123, 0234 (three digits ascending); 1234, 2345, 3456 (four digits ascending) | Rs 10,000 | Rs 20,000 |
| Choice Fancy | Any other number the applicant wants in advance | Rs 5,000 | Rs 10,000 |
These are the base prices in the department’s published auction terms. Every bid must be in multiples of Rs 1,000 above the base price. Numbers with heavy competition can sell for many times the base price.
How to apply, step by step
- Open the portal: go to the national fancy number website (Parivahan).
- Create an account: register as a new user and verify your email. Logging in needs your user ID, password and the captcha code, and sometimes an OTP sent to your mobile or email. After more than three wrong OTP attempts, the OTP is locked for a while.
- Search for a number: the portal shows numbers in the current and upcoming auction cycles and lets you search for a specific number. Check its category and base price.
- Choose your RTO: select only the Regional Transport Office in whose area you live or have your place of business.
- Pay online: applying, bidding and payment all happen online. The portal also shows your payment status, payment history and refund status.
- If you win, pay the balance: the rest of the amount must be paid within three days after the auction ends.
- Register the vehicle: take the e-receipt, Form 20 and the required documents to your RTO. The RTO allots the number.
Key rules to know
- Address proof is required: you must give an address proof accepted under the motor vehicle rules. If your home or business is not within the chosen RTO’s area, the booking is cancelled and the money paid is forfeited.
- Register within one month: if the vehicle is not produced for registration within one month of reserving the number, the reservation lapses and the amount is forfeited.
- Not transferable: the number can only be assigned to the person it was reserved for.
- Balance payment: if the winner does not pay within three days, the amount paid is forfeited and the next-highest bidder is offered the number.
- Numbers left after the auction: remaining fancy and choice fancy numbers are allotted online only, on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Disputes: the decision of the Puducherry Transport Commissioner is final.
- Login details: keep your user name and password safe and do not share them.
Is there a refund if you lose the auction?
Unsuccessful bidders are refunded to the bank account the payment came from. According to the department’s terms, you submit a letter of indemnity on Rs 20 stamp paper, in the prescribed format, to your RTO. It includes your bank account number and IFSC code.
Things to keep in mind
- The prices and rules above come from the Transport Department’s published terms and may be revised. Confirm the current details on the portal and with your RTO before you apply.
- Do not give money or documents to agents who promise to get you a fancy number. Everything is handled on the official portal.
- If the engine is above 1800 cc, the base price is roughly double in each category.
Official links
- Fancy number portal (Parivahan): registration, number search, auction status, payment
- Puducherry Transport Department: fancy number auction terms (PDF)
- Puducherry Transport Department
