Notify time-bound approval of licence plate manufacturers: Karnataka HC
The bench was hearing a petition filed by HSRP manufacturers’ association of India, Kochi in Kerala, and two authorised manufacturers of HSRP.
Bengaluru

The Karnataka high court on Friday refused to stay the state government’s notifications mandating fixing of High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) on vehicles registered before April 1, 2019, by vehicle manufacturers and their authorised dealers.
A single judge bench of Justice BM Shyam Prasad, however, directed the state government to notify a time-bound process to be followed by vehicle manufacturers to grant approval to licence plate makers across the board.
On August 17, a notification and circular issued by Karnataka transport department made it mandatory to install High Security Registration Plate (HSRP) on 20 million vehicles registered prior to April 1, 2019. The deadline given by the department to install the HSRPs was November 17, 2023, which is 90 days from the notification.
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The bench was hearing a petition filed by HSRP manufacturers’ association of India, Kochi in Kerala, and two authorised manufacturers of HSRP. The petitioners alleged that the notification was issued to allow only the ‘influential’ HSRP manufacturers, who have tied up with vehicle manufacturers and their authorised dealers for supply of HSRP for the new vehicles.
They also contended that the Central Motor Vehicles Act or the Rules do not prescribe such powers to vehicle manufacturers for authorising any HSRP manufacturer to supply and fix HSRP on the existing vehicles. The petitioners also contended that the August 18, 2023, circular, issued by the transport commissioner based on August 17 notification, gives only three months, till November 17, 2023, for the around 20 million owners of the old vehicles for fixing HSRP.
READ | High-security number plates must in vehicles registered before 2019: Karnataka transport dept
The court has however refused to stay the state government’s notification which was sought in the petitions. The court said that the approval process should be time-bound as the state has notified that all vehicles registered prior to April 1, 2019 should have the new licence plates within 90 days.
“The petitioners - license plate manufacturers, subject to decision on the question of approval as contemplated under Rule 50[1][v] of the Rules and without prejudice to the contentions urged and pending consideration, must have a reasonable opportunity to participate in the process of implementation of HSRP with the approval of the vehicle manufacturers and subject to the outcome of these writ petitions. The factors of balance of convenience and irreparable injury could be reasonably achieved if the State Government, subject to further orders of this Court and without prejudice to its case, is called upon to notify a detailed process to be followed to the vehicle manufacturers to grant approval across the board to all the license plate manufacturers with the necessary TAC and this exercise must be completed within a timeframe,” the HC held, according to Livelaw.
(With inputs from Livelaw)
