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Pune switches vehicle registration series after 37 years as MH-12 exhausted
The Pune Regional Transport Office will transition from the iconic MH-12 registration series to MH-61 after exhausting all available alphanumeric combinations. The city is the first in Maharashtra to deplete its registration number capacity under the current format.
LSN India ·

Pune's vehicle registration identity is undergoing a significant change as the Regional Transport Office (RTO) prepares to replace the MH-12 series with MH-61, marking the end of a 37-year era for the city's automotive registrations. Officials confirmed that all 9,999 numbers in the final ZZ series under the MH-12 registration code were exhausted earlier this week, necessitating the shift to the new code.
As the RTO with the highest number of registered vehicles across Maharashtra, Pune has become the first city in the state to exhaust its alphanumeric registration combinations under the existing format. The transition reflects the city's rapid vehicular growth and the limitations of the current registration system.
The RTO is currently processing applications for fancy number plates, which are issued at a premium charge as per standard procedure. Once this stage concludes, regular vehicle registrations under the new MH-61 code are expected to commence. Officials indicated that the registration process for new vehicles under the fresh series would begin imminently, with the transition managed to ensure minimal disruption to vehicle owners and dealers.