Archive · 10 Aug 2026
Maharashtra enforces 'seize on sight' tax rule for BH-series vehicles
In India, some cars have special BH-series number plates.
These cars belong to people whose jobs make them move to different cities often, like government workers.
Because they move around, they pay road tax every two years instead of paying for 15 years at once.
That means they must remember to pay the tax again and again.
Some owners forgot to pay, so a lot of tax money was owed.
The government of Maharashtra has now made a strict rule about this.
Officials can take away the car if its owner has not paid the tax on time.
Owners get seven days to pay after the two-year period ends.
If they are late, they have to pay extra money every day.
So BH-series owners must pay their tax on time, or they could lose their car during a road check.
Maharashtra has instructed RTO enforcement squads to immediately seize BH-series vehicles when outstanding road tax is not paid within the stipulated time.
BH-series vehicles, intended for professionals with transferable jobs, require road tax to be paid in two-year instalments instead of 15 years upfront.
Defaulters get a seven-day grace period, after which a 2% interest charge plus a ₹100 per day late fee is levied on the outstanding amount.
A senior RTO official in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) said the directive followed a state-level transport department meeting held in late July.
Maharashtra had 13,625 BH-series registrations by mid-December 2022, but RTO authorities could not ascertain the latest official count.
The scheme, introduced under Rule 51B of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, is available to government employees and staff of private companies operating in four or more states or union territories.
- Who
- BH-series vehicle owners in Maharashtra and RTO enforcement authorities
- What
- Maharashtra directed RTOs to immediately seize BH-series vehicles with overdue road tax; defaulters face 2% interest and a ₹100 per day late fee after a seven-day grace period
- When
- Following a state-level transport department meeting held in late July
- Where
- Maharashtra, India
- Why
- To close compliance gaps and address mounting road tax dues from BH-series owners who pay tax in two-year instalments
- State
- Maharashtra, India
- Affected vehicles
- BH-series vehicles with overdue road tax
- Tax structure
- Road tax paid in two-year instalments under Rule 51B, Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989
- Grace period
- 7 days after the two-year term ends
- Penalty
- 2% interest on outstanding tax + ₹100 per day late fee from day 8
- Enforcement action
- Immediate seizure during RTO inspections by enforcement squads
- Eligible owners
- Government, semi-government, and private company employees with offices in 4+ states or union territories
- BH registrations in Maharashtra (mid-Dec 2022)
- 13,625, with no latest official figure available