Tripura: RTO code list and details

A plate shows where the vehicle was registered, which may not be where its owner lives now. The TR code stays the same when the owner moves within Tripura. It is replaced by a new code if the vehicle is registered again in another state, or if its registration details are changed.

Good to know: In 2012, Tripura reorganised its districts and created four new ones. Some published code lists still use the old district names, so two lists can give different answers.

High Security Registration Plate for older vehicles in Tripura

What happens next depends on the registration date. A vehicle registered on or after 1 April 2019 received the plate from the manufacturer and dealer before delivery. A vehicle registered before that date must have the plate fitted by the dates the state sets. To book, open the HSRP booking portal named on the Tripura Transport Department website. It also shows which date applies to your TR vehicle.

Eight district transport offices use the codes TR-01 to TR-08. From the code on a plate you can find the office that registered the vehicle. This is not always where the owner lives now.

Since the 2012 reorganisation, published lists have disagreed on which town goes with TR-02 to TR-08. The table below gives each code with its district office. As lists differ, it is worth confirming your code with the Transport Department.

Agartala has the district transport office for West Tripura, which uses TR-01. It registers more vehicles than any other office in the state, so its code is the one you see most often on Tripura roads.

Seven other offices cover the remaining districts, from Dharmanagar in the north to Santirbazar in the south. Your application goes to the office that covers the address on your papers.

In 2012, the number of districts in Tripura doubled from four to eight, with Unakoti, Khowai, Sepahijala and Gomati added. The transport offices changed to match, but many earlier code lists were never corrected.

What older lists show

Older lists often match the codes to the four former districts, or to towns instead of districts. As a result, TR-02 shows up as Udaipur on one list and as Kailashahar on another.

Checking the code on your own vehicle

Start with your Registration Certificate, which names the registering office. Vahan shows the same office when you enter your registration number. Both are more reliable than a published list.

Keep in mind: Plates already on the road keep their number when districts change. The code shows the office that registered the vehicle at that time.

Tripura charges road tax once on the vehicle’s original price, and this covers 15 years. Cars pay 6%, 7% or 8%, and the rate goes up with the price band.

For example: At ₹5 lakhs, a car is in the 6% band and pays ₹30,000 of road tax. A car at ₹8 lakhs is in the 7% band and pays ₹56,000. For a new car, the dealer usually collects this as part of the on-road price.

Payment can be made online through the vehicle tax service on Parivahan Sewa, or in person at your district office. The state sets the rates and can change them. Before paying, check the current amount on Vahan.

RTO fees in Tripura come at set points in a car’s life: At registration, at a sale, and when the Registration Certificate (RC) reaches 15 years. The amounts are fixed by Rule 81 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, so the TR-01 office in Agartala and the TR-08 office in Santirbazar charge the same.

Worth knowing: Renewal follows the life of the RC: 15 years first, then 5 years at a time. Each month that a renewal runs late adds ₹300, so a renewal on time keeps the cost at the table amount.

Three charges come on top of these fees: The plate (HSRP), Tripura road tax and the state’s own service charges.

Some vehicles or sales may still need extra document checks, an inspection or an RTO visit. The steps above are the usual order, but they can change from case to case.

Important to know: You can arrange car insurance yourself before delivery day. A valid policy is all the dealer needs to register the car, so there is time to compare options.

Removing a loan (hypothecation) from the RC in Tripura

A loan goes onto the RC with Form 34 when the car is financed, and it comes off in three steps. First, pay the last instalment and collect the lender’s No Objection Certificate (NOC) and Form 35. Then apply on Vahan with both. The outcome is an updated RC from the RTO without the loan on it.

Online RTO work in Tripura runs on the national Parivahan services. Registration, the RC, tax and ownership are on the Vahan portal, and licence work is on the Sarathi portal. To look up vehicle details or challans, use mParivahan and the e-challan service.

Which services are fully online depends on the transaction and the RTO.

Duplicate RC and RC status check in Tripura

A lost, stolen or damaged RC is replaced in three steps: Form 26 on Vahan or at the TR office, then the ₹300 car fee from the fees table, then the duplicate RC itself. Once it is issued, enter the TR number on Parivahan Sewa or mParivahan to confirm the record, or use the Kiwi Insurance tool to check your RC status.

Driving licence services in Tripura

On Sarathi the licence steps follow one another: A learner’s licence first, then a slot for the driving test, then the licence itself. Years later the renewal is applied for on the same portal, and so is an International Driving Permit for driving abroad.

An offence on a Tripura road leads to a challan, and its amount is based on the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019. For some offences Tripura may fix its own compounding amount, so pay what the challan shows rather than what the table says.

The challan and its payment are both on the Parivahan e-challan portal, echallan.parivahan.gov.in, and in mParivahan: Enter the TR number, see what is pending and pay.

Good to know: Driving uninsured leads to the ₹2,000 fine, then ₹4,000 on a repeat. A valid car insurance policy removes that outcome entirely.

Each office, state and type of vehicle can need slightly different papers, so check the latest process with the RTO or on the Parivahan Sewa website. If you are leaving Tripura, the order is reversed: Get the No Objection Certificate (NOC) from your district office, register the car in the new state and pay its tax, then apply here for a refund of unused tax.

How the plate reads: The format is YY BH #### XX, where YY is the year of first registration, the four digits are allotted at random, and XX represents the alphabetic series, which can be a single letter or two letters. It is black on a white plate, like any other private car.

How it compares: Tripura charges its own tax once, at 6% to 8% of the original price, and that single payment covers 15 years. The BH rate is 8% to 12%, and it falls due again every 2 years.

For a used car sale, seller and buyer complete Form 29 and Form 30 at the same time. When the RC is in the buyer’s name, you have 14 days to move the insurance.

Note: Hand in forms at the office that matches the code on your RC, such as Agartala for TR-01 or Kailashahar for TR-02. Check the document list on the Parivahan Sewa website before you go. Address proof and a Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate are sometimes asked for as well. For any form not covered here, see the complete forms page on the Parivahan Sewa website.

How insurance connects to the Tripura RTO

The two run in sequence. A valid policy must be in place before a TR office registers a new car. At a sale the order is the RC first, then the policy, which the buyer has 14 days to move. If the car later gets a new number, after a move from another state or a re-registration, inform your insurer so the number on the policy is updated.

Good to know: Aim to complete both transfers in the same two weeks, one at the RTO for the RC and one with the insurer for the policy. The car then has no gap in cover after the sale.

Benefits apply as per the policy wording and the covers you choose. They are Kiwi Insurance product features, not RTO rules.