Step 1: Inform the officials
When encountering a damaged or lost number plate, it is important to notify your local authorities for several reasons.
must file a written First Information Report (FIR) at their local police station and get it stamped for further acknowledgment. While we should refrain from using a vehicle with a damaged number plate, the sanctioned FIR will save you from being fined by the traffic authorities in the interim period.
In case the number plate is lost or stolen, the FIR will protect you from being a criminal in a situation where your original plate can be misused for criminal activities or any other road violation. Once this step is done, you can proceed towards replacing your old number plate with a new one.
Remote FIR Center in Bangalore
Step 2: Replacement
Non-HSRP:
Cars and bikes purchased before April 1, 2019, do not need to have HSRP number plates as it was not made mandatory by the government. In addition, vehicles belonging to states where HSRP is not mandatory may also have a set of common plates.
In such a case the replacement is easy, as the owner can get the new plate from any local workshop after registering the FIR. However, the ease of replacement also means that a non-HSRP vehicle is more likely to be stolen because it does not benefit from the security features of HSRP.
HSRP:
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) introduced HSRP number plate to curb auto theft And help track lost or stolen vehicles. They are installed with non-reusable snap locks to ensure that the HSRP is not stolen. For added safety, the HSRP set comes with a third registration plate in the form of a sticker on which the engine and chassis number of the vehicle is required to be affixed on the bottom-left side of the windshield along with other details. The HSRP itself is made of aluminum and consists of a hot-stamped hologram and a laser engraved ten-digit PIN number to avoid counterfeiting.
When an HSRP is damaged, lost or stolen things get a little tricky. In such a scenario, the owner of the vehicle has to list the official website of HSRP and apply for replacement. However, one cannot simply apply for replacement, they must first send an email to online@hsrp.com stating the reason for the replacement along with a copy of the FIR for the same.
HSRP with non-reusable snap lock
This is necessary as the order ID for the registration plate of your vehicle already exists and needs to be canceled and reopened for a new set of plates. Once your application is verified, you will receive an email explaining how to proceed to apply for cancellation and replacement of your original HSRP order ID. Keep in mind that this is not an automated process and may take several days or even weeks to complete.
While the above process may seem overwhelming to some owners, there is a silver lining. Your original set of HSRP also had a 15-year warranty against damage or loss. Once an FIR is registered, an owner can approach the authorized dealer of his vehicle for replacement and they can carry out the process on behalf of the customer. This makes the replacement process easier for the customer, however, the dealership needs to be ready to help. The replacement of HSRP can be anywhere between Rs 400 to Rs 1,100 depending on the category of vehicle.
Number plates come into contact with the vehicle’s external environment under a variety of conditions and can get damaged over time. A plate can face its fate anywhere, driving through a waterlogged road or mud, or brushing against other vehicles in heavy traffic. What is important in such a scenario is to protect yourself and your vehicle’s registered identity from being misused.
Have you experienced loss or damage to your number plate? Share your experience in comments.