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Maharashtra’s transport department has told Regional Transport Offices to seize BH-series vehicles whose owners have not paid the road tax due after the initial two-year period. Enforcement squads can impound a defaulting vehicle during an inspection if the outstanding amount remains unpaid.

BH registration works differently from a normal state registration. Instead of paying road tax upfront for around 15 years, a BH-series owner pays it for two years at a time, or in multiples of two years. The convenience comes with a recurring deadline that owners have to track.

According to RTO officials, a seven-day grace period is available after the two-year tax period ends. From the eighth day, the outstanding amount attracts 2 per cent interest as well as a penalty of Rs 100 per day. The latest Maharashtra instruction adds a bigger practical risk: the vehicle can be seized during enforcement checks.

The Bharat Series was introduced in 2021 to make interstate transfers easier for people whose jobs can move them between states. A BH number remains valid across the country, so an eligible owner does not have to obtain a fresh registration mark every time the vehicle shifts permanently to another state.

That convenience sometimes creates the wrong impression that the BH number removes road tax. It does not. The Centre’s rules require the owner to keep paying motor vehicle tax every two years, or for longer blocks in multiples of two years, to the state where the vehicle is located during that period.

The system is mainly available to Central and state government employees, public-sector employees and eligible private-sector employees working for organisations with offices in four or more states or Union Territories.

Early BH registrations are now several years old, so many vehicles have crossed their first tax-renewal date. Maharashtra authorities say unpaid dues have been mounting on some vehicles, prompting the stricter enforcement direction.

Owners do not need to visit an RTO simply to renew the BH tax. The payment can be completed through the Parivahan portal.

The owner selects the state where the BH registration was originally issued, enters the registration number and proceeds to the online vehicle services section. Under the tax-payment option, the last five digits of the chassis number are required. The tax mode should show the two-year lump-sum option, after which the amount can be paid online.

Once the transaction is completed, the portal updates the next tax due date. Keeping the payment receipt on the phone and a downloaded copy is sensible while Maharashtra enforcement is active.

An owner who is unsure whether tax has expired should check the portal before using the car rather than waiting for an RTO notice. The BH system reduces re-registration paperwork, but it places more responsibility on the owner to remember the recurring payment.

The Maharashtra direction should not be read as a crackdown on BH registration itself. The state is targeting vehicles with outstanding tax, not properly taxed BH-series cars.

That distinction matters because Maharashtra has previously had disputes over BH eligibility and registration conditions. In 2024, the Bombay High Court struck down additional conditions imposed by the state transport commissioner for certain BH applications. The current issue is different: once a vehicle is validly registered under the BH system, its periodic tax still has to be paid.

For car owners, the immediate action is clear. Check the tax-validity date, clear any pending amount and retain proof of payment. Waiting after the seven-day grace period makes the default steadily more expensive, while the latest instruction means an unpaid tax can now also leave the owner without the vehicle until the dues and enforcement process are resolved.

The BH plate was designed to remove the headache of changing registrations after moving states. It does not remove the road-tax obligation. In Maharashtra, forgetting that difference can now end with the car being impounded. Other states are likely to act likewise as road tax is a substantial part of state revenues.